The Office for Students intervened with a university to head off “clear reputational risk” and “abuses”, but did so behind the scenes to avoid “damage to the whole sector”, according to the regulator's former chair. In doing so, and with government support, it averted fears that half a dozen or more institutions would collapse in the pandemic, he told peers.
Sir Michael Barber, who was the regulator’s first chair before stepping down in 2021, was giving evidence to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee as it opened an inquiry into the OfS, after concerns were expressed by universities that the regulator had not maintained its independence from government and had infringed on university autonomy.
Sir Michael defended the regulator’s work behind the scenes.
“There was one university where there were clear reputational risks being taken – abuses, I would say. And we sorted that out. We didn’t make a big public thing of it; we could have done, but we didn’t, because we didn’t want to damage the whole sector,” he said.
