OfS to conduct enhanced monitoring of University of Bedfordshire

The decision follows a quality assessment of some of the university’s courses. The assessment, carried out by academic experts on behalf of the OfS, found a number of areas of concern in relation to the quality of business and management courses at the university. The OfS carefully considered the findings of the assessment and engaged with the university before deciding to conduct enhanced monitoring.

The OfS has found that:

• The university breached condition B2 relating to resources and support. Specifically, the university had not taken all reasonable steps to ensure that students received the resources and support they needed for a high quality academic experience. For example, at the time of the quality assessment, the university did not have efficient methods of monitoring student engagement with their learning, or identifying the support needs of its students.
• Resources were insufficient to ensure a high quality academic experience for some students. For example, at the time of the quality assessment, the university did not offer suitable alternatives for students who were unable to attend teaching sessions to easily catch-up.

Since the quality assessment, the university has worked collaboratively with the OfS to construct a set of plans and initiatives designed to address the concerns found in the assessment report. The OfS’s enhanced monitoring requires the university to periodically report to the OfS about the changes that it is implementing. The OfS will lift the enhanced monitoring once it is satisfied that the remaining risks have been resolved, or may consider further action if the risks continue or increase.

Commenting, Jean Arnold, Deputy Director of Quality at the OfS, said:

‘Students from all backgrounds should be confident that they will receive appropriate resources and support during their studies.

‘Some students face significant challenges. Our requirements for quality mean that universities and colleges have to understand and take account of the needs of their particular students by providing them with the resources and support that help them to succeed.

‘An important step in providing effective resources and support is taking steps to address gaps where they are found. We are now content that the University of Bedfordshire has a set of initiatives in place to deal with these issues and our monitoring seeks to ensure that these will be implemented effectively. We expect providers to be diligent in their monitoring and implementation of resources and support to students so that their students can achieve positive outcomes.

‘Since the assessment report was published, the OfS has continued to work with the University of Bedfordshire, and we are grateful for the university’s positive response. We will continue to work with it as we monitor compliance with the condition.’

Notes

1. The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher education in England. Our aim is to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.