3/20/2023 0 Comments Tefview change pitch![]() ![]() Since then, the cracks in the TEF have been plain for all to see, particularly when it came to making use of the National Student Survey (NSS) as a core metric. Students had to lead a rebellion against the link between the TEF and fees, and lead it we did, making the case time and again that “quality doesn’t grow on fees”. The use of metrics that told us nothing about teaching quality and everything about social status, perverse barriers for international student recruitment and – crucially – market-led fee-level differentiation between different institutions, all left us with no option. But for us, the link between the TEF and fees was about so much more than a sticker price on education. It will come as no surprise to anyone reading this that the NUS stands for free education and campaigns for the end of tuition fees. In among all the excesses of the bill, it was the link between the TEF and tuition fees, and its tenuous relationship to teaching quality, which stood out for our members. Quite the feat given that the TEF could happen with or without the HE Bill. So yesterday’s vote in the Lords, to reject the link between the TEF and tuition fees, was a defining moment for both of us. What was then something tacked into an election manifesto for a Conservative Party expecting to form another coalition government has become the defining feature of the Higher Education and Research Bill, as well as both my and the minister’s shared time in office. I was only three days into my role when the NUS received a phone call from Jo Johnson to let us know about his plans to introduce a teaching excellence framework. The case against: Sorana Vieru, vice-president (higher education), National Union of Students Universities need to maintain investment in their courses – and students need to know that they will benefit. So the Higher Education and Research Bill should not be used to try to kill off the TEF. After all, the research excellence framework evolved over 30 years. But the metrics and the benchmarking are not perfect and need to develop further. Universities are all thinking hard about how they can improve their overall excellence and identify any pockets of underperformance. It is also clear that it will be effective. This goes a long way to making the system fair. It’s not just about metrics, though: every university will be reviewed by a panel of its peers before the institution receives its award. External factors such as social disadvantage, age, race and prior attainment are accounted for. The TEF attempts to address these differences by measuring outcomes such as feedback from students, retention and employment rather than inputs such as contact hours or teaching qualifications. Good teaching might look very different in each. The higher education sector is extremely diverse, ranging from large metropolitan universities that teach a wide range of subjects to small and specialist institutions and conservatoires. Other critics feel that the challenge of measuring teaching excellence is so great that we should not try. Similarly, students on a below-average course at a “gold” university may be paying for excellence that they are not getting.īecause of this, many vice-chancellors would have preferred a blanket increase in fees – but the link with the TEF is more likely to ensure that students get the high-quality education they are paying for. For example, as the TEF is judged at institutional level, an excellent department in a “bronze” university will have to work harder to maintain its excellence as the value of fees that their institution can charge goes down and they have less money to run the course. Linking fee increases to the TEF is not a perfect mechanism, and it will throw up some uncomfortable anomalies. In time, this would reduce the quality of education and the student experience that universities can offer. If fees don’t increase in line with inflation, they will be eroded by it. This is not surprising – but a rise is ultimately necessary. Even an increase in fees limited to inflation will be unpopular. Nevertheless, while students want excellent teaching, they are also concerned about the cost of university tuition. Many hope that this will be recognised through a “gold” or “silver” TEF rating. Because these students typically come from a wide range of backgrounds, they are also offered an array of co-curricular activities designed to increase their confidence and their employability. ![]() These universities offer distinct teaching methods that enable students to learn by doing. ![]()
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