External Publications/Consultations

HEFCE/TDA Publications/Consultations/Circulars 2006

The documents referred to below do not represent the full list of HEFCE/TDA circulars/consultations/publications etc. For the full list, please visit:

HEFCE	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/
TDA	http://www.tda.gov.uk/



University of Exeter Log 2006



Beacons for Public Engagement (December 2006/49) The UK higher education funding councils and Research Councils UK , in association with the Wellcome Trust, invite proposals from higher education institutions for collaborative Beacons for Public Engagement, including one National Co-ordinating Centre. A total of up to £8 million will be available over four years for this pilot initiative.

National Student Survey: Inclusion of NHS funded students (December) Further HEFCE circular letter 23/2006 'Development of the TQI and NSS', HEFCE are writing to provide further details of the arrangements for surveying NHS funded students, who will be taking part in the National Student Survey (NSS) for the first time from 2007.

HEFCE Assurance Service visit September 2005 - follow up (November) Request for confirmation of progress made with the recommendations detailed in the HEFCE Assurance Visit final report.

Higher education in further education colleges: consultation on HEFCE policy (November 2006/48) This consultation seeks views on the main elements of our policy for supporting higher education in further education colleges. It focuses on four main areas: HEFCE's view of the role of HE in FECs, strategic development of provision, proposals for centres for higher education excellence in colleges, and funding and relationships.

2006 HE-business and community interaction (HE-BCI) survey (November 24/2006) 2006 annual survey of interactions between higher education institutions (HEIs) and business and the wider community.

Analysis of the 2005 National Student Survey (November) As part of a revised Quality Assurance Framework for higher education, the first full National Student Survey (NSS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was conducted in 2005. HEFCE commissioned Paula Surridge at the University of Bristol to conduct research into the first NSS and explore its findings.

Review of teaching funding method: decision on fee assumptions (November EP 02/2006) HEFCE are in the process of reviewing and consulting on their funding method for teaching, to ensure it remains fit for purpose. A key proposal was to increase the assumptions made within the method about the income that institutions receive from full-time undergraduate fees. In the light of responses to the initial consultation (see HEFCE 2006/12), the HEFCE Board decided in February 2006 to reflect further and to consult again on some key issues. HEFCE have now reviewed their approach. At its November meeting the Board decided to continue to adopt a two-cycle approach, and in doing so to treat the period between now and 2009 as a transitional period during which the new fees and funding regime will mature. In this transitional period HEFCE will maintain the fee assumptions at existing levels (in real terms). HEFCE will also continue to gather data on income and expenditure to inform our new method.

Nominations invited for round 2 of Clinical Senior Lectureship Awards (November) Nominations are being invited for the second round of Clinical Senior Lectureship Awards. this is the second round of a scheme funded by HEFCE and local NHS trusts to increase the numbers of qualified clinicians undertaking clinical medical research.

HESES06: Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 2006/07 (September 2006/36) Higher education institutions are asked to complete the annual survey of students on recognised higher education courses.

Development of TQI and the NSS (November 23/2006) In July 2006 HEFCE wrote to institutions with an update on Teaching Quality Information (TQI) and the National Student Survey (NSS) - HEFCE Circular letter 16/2006. HEFCE advised that the review of the TQI and NSS was likely to recommend that summaries of external examiner reports should no longer be published on the TQI site. The review outcomes have now been published as HEFCE 2006/45, 'Review of the Quality Assurance Framework: phase two outcomes'. As well as setting out the review group's recommendations, that document outlines in broad terms how we will implement the changes to TQI and the NSS, and the implications for institutions. This letter describes the more specific plans and proposals for TQI and the NSS, and invites comments on some of these proposals.

Review of the Quality Assurance Framework: Phase two outcomes (October 2006/45) This document sets out the outcomes of phase two of the review of the Quality Assurance Framework for learning and teaching in higher education. It includes recommendations and plans to improve the Teaching Quality Information and National Student Survey initiatives. These have been endorsed by HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE, the sponsoring bodies of the review.