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Regulator tells universities to set students’ expectations for the year ahead as pandemic disruption continues
Universities have been told to be clear with students about what they should expect from the next academic year, including changing course costs and how much will be delivered online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Institutions must give prospective students enough information about the year ahead to allow them to “make an informed decision” about whether to defer entry, switch courses or go ahead with their plans, according to guidance published by the Office for Students on 10 June.
Students should be told what will happen to placements and field trips, whether “any discounts have been offered for the year in which adjustments will be made, and if the cost will increase to a ‘normal’ level thereafter”, and how the course will be assessed.
In the guidance, the OfS says prospective students “will need to understand what a provider is committing to deliver in the current circumstances and in different scenarios” and what changes could be made in response to public health guidance “so that they are able to make informed choices”. Universities are being asked to communicate changes to students before clearing starts in July.
England’s regulator also says that institutions should tell their current students “the extent to which the course will now be delivered online rather than face to face, and how the balance between lectures, seminars and self-learning has changed”.
OfS chief executive Nicola Dandridge said students and universities were experiencing “exceptionally challenging times”, but stressed that students “must be given clear guidance and information to make the decision that is right for them”.
“While many universities and colleges have responded to the crisis with innovation and ingenuity, all current students have had their studies disrupted. Any adjustments that continue into next year must be clearly communicated, and students must have access to a transparent and flexible complaints process should they feel that suitable changes have not been made,” Dandridge added.
Commenting on the guidance, Claire Sosienski Smith, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said that while it was important for students to be given more information, “clarity without choice is relatively meaningless”.
“All students must be given the opportunity to defer their placements, take a year out or retake this year at no additional cost if they choose to do so,” she said.
UCAS applicants are expected to confirm their initial university choice by 18 June.