REVIEW OF SCOTLAND'S COLLEGES [SEETLLD RSCCG-P02]
CORE GROUP
REVISED REMIT OF REVIEW
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Purpose
1. To seek members' approval of the revised remit of the Review of Scotland's Colleges.
Background
2. The remit of the review and its four workstreams was discussed at the preliminary meeting on 17 May. Paper RSCCG/01 (Remit, Membership and Timescales of Workstreams) was subsequently circulated to the Core Group for comment. The remit of the workstreams was thereafter discussed at the first meetings of each of the Working Groups. This paper revises the remit in the light of the discussions of the Working Groups and includes for the first time a remit for the review overall.
Remit of Review
3. The remit of the Review of Scotland's Colleges is to:
"provide Scottish Ministers with a robust evidence base, and where appropriate, informed recommendations for change, upon which sound decisions can be taken on how to fund and equip Scotland's colleges to meet future challenges and demands. In particular the review will:
(a) examine the difference colleges make (to the learner, the economy and wider society), including:
n the full range of colleges' current activity (and the corresponding funding streams);
n the full range of learners benefiting from college opportunities;
n the changed nature and level of college activity since incorporation in 1993;
n costs, efficiency of colleges and benchmarking;
n the full range of college competitors and partners; and
n outcomes for the learner, economy and wider society, including knowledge transfer encompassing quantitative (in appropriate time series) and qualitative information.
(b) build on the work of previous reviews and examine the arrangements for accountability and governance in incorporated colleges including:
n the broader regulatory landscape in which colleges operate, and the potential overlap of jurisdictions;
n whether boards should be responsible for appointing their own membership, including the chair of the board;
n strengthening learner participation;
n enhancing the capacity of board members;
n whether the chair and other board members should be remunerated;
n the length of board membership for chairs of colleges and staff representatives;
n the roles of, and relationships between, the chair, board, principal to ensure maximum quality oversight, including the Board's ability to obtain independent advice and the roles, responsibilities and relationships of the Accountable Officer;
n whether there is a continuing need for powers of Ministerial intervention; and
n the composition of the boards, including whether more needs to be done to ensure diversity and the current statutory requirement for 50% of board members to have capacity in "industrial, commercial or employment matters or the practice of any profession".
(c) examine issues relating to the staffing, learners and the learning environments of Scotland 's colleges to ensure quality learning experiences, including:
n opportunities for the further modernisation and improvement of learning and teaching methods;
n supporting the professionalism and development of all staff;
n whether there is evidence of an ageing workforce in colleges;
n disability, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, age and gender equality for staff and learners;
n the gendered uptake of courses;
n the competitiveness of colleges as a place of work (including recruitment and retention issues);
n estates (and flexible joint use of buildings); and
n learning environments for learners.
(d) examine the strategic future of Scotland 's colleges in 10-15 years through a scenario analysis, and report on the implications of the range of likely scenarios. In considering these scenarios, examine possible changes in the key national, European and international environmental factors affecting learning and colleges. These might include, for example:
n demographic change;
n economic change; societal and technological change;
n change in our expectations of the role and purpose of colleges;
n change in approaches to learning and teaching; and
n change in the 'learning market'.
Recommendation
4. Members are invited to approve the remit of the Review.
Reviews Team: Scotland 's Colleges
September 2005