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Leeds Trinity University (LTU) has been hit with a hefty £115,000 fine by England's higher education watchdog, the Office for Students (OfS), for what the regulator has termed "serious failures" in its oversight of franchised courses. The penalty underscores mounting concerns over the burgeoning sector of subcontractual higher education provision and the potential risks it poses to student outcomes and public funds, Daily Dazzling Dawn understand.
The OfS investigation, spanning from October 2022 to February 2024, meticulously examined LTU's arrangements with external organisations delivering courses on its behalf. The damning conclusion: the university's oversight mechanisms were "not adequate" to effectively identify and address risks at its franchised partners, particularly concerning admissions practices and academic misconduct.
A key finding was an "overarching risk" that Leeds Trinity was simply "unable to properly ensure quality" across its franchised partnerships, or to adequately respond when concerns about these providers were raised. This comes despite a dramatic surge in student numbers within these arrangements, ballooning from 3,600 students in 2020/21 to a substantial 9,400 students by 2022/23.
The OfS had previously issued stark warnings that it would intervene where the use of franchised providers jeopardised the interests of students or taxpayers. Susan Lapworth, Chief Executive of the OfS, reiterated this stance, stating that universities "must be certain that they are monitoring these courses effectively, and that their oversight of delivery partners ensures students receive the support they need to succeed in their studies and receive a qualification which will benefit them in the future."
In response to the fine, Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, acknowledged the regulator's findings. "We fully accept the conclusions of this investigation, and we recognise that the rapid growth in our subcontractual partnerships created pressures that our systems and oversight processes were not fully equipped to manage at the time," Professor Egbu stated.
He further emphasised the university's commitment to improving student outcomes and widening participation, highlighting the "proactive steps" and "significant progress" made by Leeds Trinity to strengthen its oversight mechanisms. Professor Egbu noted that these improvements were a "key factor" in the OfS's decision to lower the financial penalty, and expressed confidence that these changes would assure both partners and students of the "high quality of our courses."
The fine against Leeds Trinity University comes amidst broader governmental efforts to tighten controls over franchised higher education courses in England. In January, new plans were announced requiring franchised providers with at least 300 students to register directly with the OfS to access student loan funding. This intervention follows a warning last year from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which flagged that a lack of government oversight in this sector had left the student loan system vulnerable to fraud.
The Leeds Trinity fine serves as a potent reminder to other universities of the stringent expectations for quality assurance and student protection within the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education partnerships.
