Ongoing media headlines about ‘low quality’ or ‘rip-off’ university courses are just the latest in a series of headlines relating to quality and standards that go back over twenty years to talk of ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees.
The political expectation is often a regulatory intervention that can raise questions about the independence and autonomy of universities. However, with the significant costs of the student loan system, and therefore to the taxpayer, there have been increasing questions as to whether this autonomy is still automatic or whether it is based on trust and needs to be earned. If that trust begins to be lost by us not being seen to tackle our own problems, then the state will start to claw back some of that autonomy, clearly something that is in no one’s interest given the links between autonomy and excellence.
Despite much excellent work by Universities UK, GuildHE, QAA and others at a sector level, ultimately all universities are autonomous institutions and so are responsible for protecting their own academic standards. Therefore, the role of university academic governance and assurance is central.
I have written previously for HEPI on some of the historical developments about the increasing expectations of governing bodies to do more on academic quality (HEPI Policy Note 36). I have also highlighted some of the ways in which universities have been seeking to enhance the role of governing bodies, including increasing the number of governors appointed with an understanding of higher education, better induction and training for governors, and developing a culture of academic assurance amongst Council members. Increasingly university councils have the competence and confidence to explore these issues in more detail.
