Universities UK is working on the development of a ¡°wider framework of value indicators¡±, beyond just graduate earnings, to ¡°inform¡± the government as it scrutinises value for money and quality in higher education, according to its president.

Julia Buckingham addressed the subject of value ¨C where there will be political pressure on universities following the Conservative manifesto pledge to ¡°tackle the problem of¡­low quality courses¡± in higher education ¨C in a speech to an Advance?HE event in London on 11?February.

After describing graduate earnings as ¡°one ¨C but not the only ¨C component in measuring value¡±, the Brunel University London vice-chancellor said: ¡°A?wider framework of value indicators would enable the sector ¨C and others ¨C to assess the impact of specific courses, particularly where reservations exist around how outcomes differ to those for an individual did not go to university at?all.

¡°UUK is committed to building such a framework, which could help inform government and the wider debate and it could also be used as contextual information by institutions when they¡¯re reviewing their portfolio of courses.¡±

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The University of Sunderland recently attracted criticism for its decision to close its history, politics and languages courses as part of a shift to a ¡°career-focused¡± curriculum.

UUK added in a statement further to Professor Buckingham¡¯s speech that proposed new measures would ¡°include the proportion of graduates working in essential public services, the number taking positions in sectors and regions with skills shortages, or the likelihood of a graduate starting their own business¡±.

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It added that the ¡°new framework¡± on defining value ¡°will shortly be presented to government to help identify what the wider themes of that approach might?be¡±.

The government has been criticised by many in the sector for its perceived over-reliance on Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data on graduate earnings by course and by university.

Professor Buckingham said questions about value were ¡°legitimate¡± and that ¡°under the new Conservative government, these concerns are not likely to go away¡±.

But she said much of the debate has ¡°often lacked nuance¡± in ¡°failing to look beyond salary outcomes¡±. To ¡°address concerns about poor value, then first we should ask what value means to those who are at the heart of the system ¨C not politicians, not newspaper columnists, but today¡¯s students¡±, Professor Buckingham argued.

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Recent UUK polling found that ¡°only one in three students and recent graduates say they decided to go to university to get a higher salary than they otherwise would have¡± ¨C instead emphasising interest in their subject, enjoyment in learning and taking first steps to career building, she added.

She emphasised the ¡°serious limitations¡± of LEO data, which did not take account of regional earnings variations or the impact on earnings of ¡°external economic activity¡± such as the financial crisis.

After taking up her UUK role last year, Professor Buckingham told Times Higher Education that she would make it a priority to counter policy focus on graduate earnings by communicating that the value of a degree is ¡°not all about earning money¡±.

john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com