Higher Education for the 21st Century - 6. Organisational Structure

Higher Education for the 21^st Century
Response to the Garrick Report

6. ORGANISATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

6.1 Governance

Recommendation 19 - We recommend to the Confederation of British Industry (Scotland), Chairmen and Chief Executives of Scottish companies and other organisations that they should be responsive to institutional needs for high quality lay members for their governing bodies.

Although this recommendation is aimed at industry, it also impacts on higher education institutions. Although higher education institutions are autonomous bodies, they receive the bulk of their funding from the public purse. The Government therefore believes that they should be inclusive in the membership of their governing bodies by drawing high quality governors from all relevant backgrounds, in addition to those drawn from staff and students.

6.2 Rectors

Recommendation 20 - We recommend to the four Scottish ancient universities and to the Government that the office of Rector should no longer be linked to the Chairmanship of the University Court, and that the appropriate legislation should be enacted to support this change in institutional governance.

The Government has announced that it does not intend to legislate to support the proposed change in institutional governance. It believes that the position of Rectors as Chairmen of Courts of the Ancient Universities provides an important safeguard for staff and students. It acknowledges, however, that those electing a Rector have a responsibility to ensure that candidates are fit and proper persons for such an important role.

6.3 Management of Individual Institutions

Recommendation 21 - We recommend to institutions that they should develop ideas for improvement in performance through better use of facilities and resources, and that this should be implemented both within and between institutions. Staff who contribute useful ideas should be rewarded.

Recommendation 22 - We recommend to institutions that they should develop a culture where each individual member of staff is aligned to the need to assist the organisation in becoming as efficient and effective as possible.

The Government welcomes the fact that COSHEP has supported both recommendations and hopes that individual institutions will take them forward. It believes that the culture of co-operation and participation requires to be actively encouraged and that SHEFC should take account of that in framing and implementing their policies. This should include SHEFC encouraging institutions to seek Investors in People status as The Scottish Office will do in relation to FEcolleges.

6.4 The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils

Recommendation 23 - We recommend to the Government that the appropriate legislation should be enacted or invoked to establish two separate funding councils - one for further education and one for higher education - each with a separate chairman but under a single organisation and with a single chief executive.

The Government accepts the spirit of this recommendation but believes that it can best be accomodated within a single organisation with one Chief Executive dealing with both Higher and Further Education. Within that framework, we will establish a Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) with a significant element of common membership with SHEFC.

Recommendation 24 - We recommend to the Government that the proposed funding council for further education should have responsibility for funding all provision leading to qualifications offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Recommendation 25 - We recommend to the Government that the proposed funding council for higher education should be responsible for all provision offered by higher education institutions and degree provision wherever it is offered, including degree provision in the further education colleges and, when it comes on stream, the University of the Highlands and Islands Project.

The Government does not accept that the two Funding Councils should have responsibility for funding qualifications rather than institutions. On balance, the Government has decided to retain the existing split of funding responsibilities, on an institutional basis. The new SFEFC will therefore fund all provision within FE colleges, and the existing SHEFC will fund all provision within HE institutions.

The Government believes that this alternative division of funding responsibility will still allow for continual development of collaboration and synergy between FE colleges and HE institutions, without risking mission drift or stimulating inappropriate mergers between institutions in different sectors.

The Government also notes the Committee’s comments on the position of the Scottish Agricultural College and will review its funding arrangements.

Recommendation 26 - We recommend to the new Quality Assurance Agency that it should be responsible for assuring the quality of all programmes offered within higher education institutions and all degree-level provision wherever it is delivered.

The Government accepts the principle behind this recommendation, that the division of responsibility for quality assurance should reflect the division of funding responsibilities. Although this recommendation was addressed to the QAA, SHEFC has a statutory duty to assess quality in the higher education institutions it funds. As section 3.2 explains, SHEFC has already entered into discussions with the QAA about development of trials for the new quality assurance system in Scotland. Since the Government has decided (Recommendation 24) that the new FE Funding Council should be responsible for funding all provision in FE colleges, quality assurance arrangements in the FE sector will reflect that remit.

6.5 Scottish Forum for Higher Education

Recommendation 27 - We recommend to the Secretary of State for Scotland that a new body - the Scottish Forum for Higher Education - should be established to advise the Secretary of State on the strategic direction of higher education in Scotland.

The Government believes that the strategic direction of higher education in Scotland - and supporting policies - should emerge from a broad and inclusive debate involving all groups with an interest.

While the Government is not convinced of the need to establish a new body it does wish to obtain strategic advice. It has therefore asked SHEFC (which has a statutory role to advise the Secretary of State on higher education matters) to provide advice, from time to time, on the key strategic issues arising for higher education in Scotland and the needs of the Scottish economy, and the implementation of its reforms. In doing so, the Council has been asked to consult widely with those who have an interest in education - particularly the further education sector - and the needs of employers. The Government will also make public the advice provided on these issues.