Russell Group response to OfS consultation 2022-25 strategy

10 January 2022

We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Office For Students (OfS) consultation on its future strategy and look forward to working with the OfS as it develops its regulatory approach and refocuses its ambitions for high-quality delivery of higher education in England.

We support the OfS’ central priorities: quality and standards, and equality of opportunity. If these priorities are met through effective regulation that truly reduces burden on low-risk providers and protects their autonomy, then this should enable institutions to continue innovating and developing their own approaches to delivering excellent outcomes for students. 

As the OfS looks to finalise this strategy we would recommend that the Regulator:

(a) Expands its goal around quality and standards to establish more challenging quality baselines and encourage enhancement above these by working with the Designated Quality Body and encouraging use of its Quality Code.

(b) Provides clarity on its goal for “courses that do not meet our [the OfS’] requirements being improved or closed” and the statutory powers it would be relying on the achieve this.

(c) Fully consults providers in the implementation of any new powers and policies relating to free speech, including the development of detailed guidance for the sector.

(d) Provides more information on how it intends to deliver against its goal to ensure graduates contribute to the Government’s levelling up agenda.

(e) Works closely with providers and bodies such as QAA to ensure its regulatory approach is appropriate in the context of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.

(f) Engages further with the sector to reduce regulatory burden on low-risk providers and establishes new measures to monitor burden.

Read our recommendations in more detail by downloading the document below:

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