On Wednesday the House of Commons Education Committee was provided with evidence by a group of vice chancellors on value for money in higher education.
Key statements by institutions included:
- University of Liverpool – Professor Dame Janet Beer argued that longitudinal data is more indicative of graduate-level careers than DLHE data.
- Open University – Peter Horrocks suggested TEF metrics were not relevant to the type of flexible study offered at his institution.
- Nottingham Trent University – Edward Peck said institutions “should be judged by what they do for the students they teach”, including employability.
- Sheffield Hallam University – Chris Husbands said the sector had not experienced significant issues from austerity compared to the public sector, and argued for a move away from entry tariffs measuring institutional effectiveness.
- University of Oxford – Louise Richardson said her institution’s strengths were not in apprenticeships, but in research.
- On a second panel, Alistair Jarvis of Universities UK said the review of post-18 education and funding would have scope to look at collaborations between higher and further education.