The Browne Review Implications for PIs

Barry Clarke Institute of Resilient Infrastructure

Introduction • The HE Sector • The Browne Recommendations and Government Response • Implications

The HE Sector

The University Sector

Per capita GDP generated per £1 million spent (2007/08) (UUK, 2010) Industry size comparisons: sectoral gross outputs (£ million), 2007/08 (UUK,2010)

The University Sector

No of students in each subject area (HESA, 2010) (total number of students = 2.4m) No of students in built environment programmes (HESA 2010) (total number of students = 90k)

The University Sector

165 HEIs £25.4B income pa £6.5B HEFCE funding pa (incl £4.7B teaching funding)

The Browne Review

Browne Review - Headlines

Learning Living Earning and Paying Participation Quality Sustainability • Government pays students to choose where and what they want to study. • Maintenance loan up to £3750; plus grant for poorer families • Pay fee back at 9% on any income over £21k • Improve career guidance; support for part time students • Baseline quality standards monitored • Greater contribution from individuals and industry

Browne Review - Headlines

Learning Living Earning and Paying • Students choose where and what they want to study. Government pays costs of learning upfront.

• Support for living costs available to all through an annual loan of £3,750. No means testing for access to loans for living costs.

• Additional support for students from families with an income below £60,000 per year, up to £3,250 in grants • Students pay nothing up front. Graduates only make payments when they are earning above £21,000 per year.

• Payments are affordable – 9% of any income above £21,000.

• If earnings drop or stop, then payments drop or stop • The payment threshold is reviewed regularly to bring it into line with growth in earnings • The interest rate on the loans is the low rate that Government itself pays on borrowing money.

• There is a rebate for low earners.

• Any balance remaining after 30 years is written off

Browne Review - Headlines

Participation Quality • HE expands sustainably to meet qualified demand, with access for anyone who has the talent to succeed.

• A 10% increase in the number of places; and new support for the costs of learning for part time students. • An increase in the support for living costs for students from low income backgrounds. • The schools system to respond by improving guidance.

• HEs actively compete for well informed, discerning students, on the basis of price and teaching quality, improving provision across the whole sector, within a framework that guarantees minimum standards.

• Higher Education Council enforces baseline standards of quality • Students receive high quality information to help them choose the HEI and courses which best matches their aspirations.

Browne Review - Headlines

Sustainability • Increased private contributions and more targeted public investment to support high quality provision and allow the sector to grow to meet qualified demand.

• More sustainable footing by seeking higher contributions from those that can afford to make them, and removing the blanket subsidy for all courses – without losing vital public investment in priority courses. • Public investment in clinical and priority courses such as medicine, science engineering

Browne Review - Beyond

CSR Political • Increase graduate contributions from 2012 • National Scholarship Scheme of £150m from 2014 • Ring fence investment in science and research • HEIF to be reformed to increase investment • .40% savings in HE funding • Cap on fees (max £9000) • Prioritise STEM subjects • Fees over £6000 contribute to students fees from poorer backgrounds • Variable rates of payback

Financing the degree

loan £3750 personal?

grant if poor £3250 maintenance debt choose a programme payback with interest fee Govt pay up to £6k Govt pay up to £9k grant to poor students < £21k no payback > £21k pay 9% over £21k payback over 30yrs

Implications

The university scenarios

Free for all • Charge up to £9k • Attract students because of status • Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning experience that meets the needs of industry • Surplus contributions to support underfunded disciplines Steady as we go • Charge up to £7k • Attract students because of locality and opportunity • Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning experience that meets the needs of industry • Fully funded research led programmes offering quality learning experience that deliver enhanced learning outcomes Fight for survival • Minimum charge • Attract students because of cost • Shortened period of study • Student experience more akin to learning by rote rather than by practice • Programmes that meet the learning outcomes Closure • Degrees closed down because of cost and lack of interest

Implications – The university

The fees • Setting fees that align with their market share Programmes Places • Flexibility • ‘earn and learn’ • Greater focus on quality of teaching • Greater focus on experience of learning • Better quality information on the programmes and careers • Increase competition to attract declining number of students • Merger/closure of departments (are BE programmes financially viable?) • Merger/closure universities

Implications – The student

The debt • Three year degree at £6k will leave a debt of £10k (of maintenance loan; up to £27k of fee payback; and £10k of further loans) Payback Learning • Most BE students will be paid above the threshold (£21k) • Payback 9% of income above the threshold • Threshold increases annually • ‘earn and learn’ • Part time, flexible approach to learning • Seek employment led education and training

Implications – Industry

Funding • Universities seeking sponsorship to help students and attract students • Students seeking sponsor ship to pay fees/maintenance • Graduates expecting increase in salary (Browne is of view that industry will pay because of the benefit of employing a graduate) Education • Industry will be expected to increase engagement with universities to ensure that the programmes meet their requirements and graduates attributes align with their needs • Work place learning (e.g. placements) • Flexible approach to work and education

Implications – The PIs

Funding • Scholarship provision (e.g. QUEST) Accreditation Membership Charitable status • Accreditation adds value • Publicly available information needs to be correct (a role for the accrediting team) • Programmes meet funders wants but industry's needs • Accrediting teams have an inspiration role • Accrediting work place learning • Members benefits more explicit • Greater engagement with student population • Contribute to quality learning experience • Alternative routes to entry • Are the opportunities sufficient to meet the demands of industry?

• Are the objectives of the programmes aligned with the learning outcomes at the appropriate level?

Conclusion

The Browne Review

• The Browne Review and the CSR are likely to result in a major shift in higher education • Principle of student does not pay until they earn enough as a graduate • Increase in quality of education and learning experience • Greater alignment with industry‘s needs • Increased contribution from industry • Pis have a more important role in accrediting programmes • Pis will have to engage universities/students more proactively to demonstrate benefits