Confusion about how quality in English universities is assessed and regulated has already harmed institutions’ ambitions to expand abroad, according to the chief executive of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
Appearing before the House of Lords’ inquiry into the work of the Office for Students (OfS), Vicki Stott said the regulator’s plan to take the designated quality body (DQB) function in-house now that her own organisation has given up its responsibilities in this area was unlikely to do much to restore the sector’s reputation globally.
The QAA relinquished the role after clashing with the regulator because aspects of the English quality system did not comply with European standards, something that has not gone unnoticed abroad, Ms Stott said.
“I’m afraid I think there could well be concrete impacts on both the sector’s reputation and on its financial sustainability,” she replied when asked what she thought the consequences could be.
