HE representative bodies to give evidence to Lords Office for Students inquiry

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee will hear from Higher Education representative bodies, as it continues its inquiry into the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator of the higher education sector in England.

The session will run from 10.25am until 12.40pm on Tuesday 28 March and can be followed live on Parliament TV or in person in Committee Room 4a, Palace of Westminster.

Giving evidence from 10:25 to 11.35 will be:

• Vivienne Stern MBE,
  Chief Executive, Universities UK  
• Vanessa Wilson,
  CEO, University Alliance

Giving evidence from 11:35 to 12.40 will be:

• Rachel Hewitt,
  Chief Executive, MillionPlus, The Association for Modern Universities  
• Alex Proudfoot,
  Chief Executive, Independent Higher Education

Possible questions include:

• Are the OfS’ statutory duties clear and appropriate? Has it been given a clear job to do by Parliament?
• To what extent is the OfS’ work determined by the Government?
• How does the OfS evaluate whether higher education provides value for money?
• How does the OfS engage with students, and to what extent does student input drive the OfS’ view of their interests and its regulatory framework?
• What financial risks does the higher education sector face?
• What are the business models of UK higher education providers, and how do these differ between providers?

The Committee’s call for evidence for the inquiry is open until Friday 7 April. Details about how to submit evidence are available on the Committee’s website.