Consumer protection and students – Where are we now?

Unsurprisingly, given the widespread disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis, there is currently a great deal of attention on students’ rights as consumers, with numerous public statements on the point from ministers and regulators. How best should institutions mitigate the risk of claims or complaints in this area? The law For students who accepted the […]

We’re not “alternative providers”, we’re higher education’s SMEs

This blog, authored by IHE’s Chief Executive, Alexander Proudfoot, was first published on the Wonkhe website.   ‘Tis the season for manifestos, after the surprise calling of the first winter general election in 45 years generated a blizzard of rapid policy prescriptions from industry and professional bodies. Independent HE has taken a little longer because […]

Independent providers left behind by Augar

This blog, authored by IHE’s Chief Executive, Alexander Proudfoot, was first published on the Wonkhe website. We welcomed the Post-18 Review last year. It promised to rebalance a tertiary education system which has sometimes seemed shaped by history rather than by what individual students need. Our members told us first hand of the difficulties they […]

Let’s go fly a kite: International

This blog, co-authored by IHE’s Director of Policy and Development, Joy Elliott-Bowman, was first published on the Wonkhe website.   Multiple-level study visas Joy Elliott-Bowman – Director of Policy and Development, Independent Higher Education For every course an international student wishes to study in the UK they will need to apply for a new visa. […]

#Wonklife – Joy Elliot-Bowman

This blog was first published on the Wonkhe website. Welcome to Wonklife – a series celebrating different wonks in higher education, sharing their story and looking to the future.   The human side of policy Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Joy Elliott-Bowman’s journey to a policy and public affairs brief at Independent HE may seem […]

Regulator validation is essential for a high quality independent sector

This blog by IHE Chief Executive, Alex Proudfoot, was first published on the Wonkhe website. New providers are not the barbarians at the gates of our higher education sector. They are the inventors in our labs, questioning past paradigms. They are the artists in our studios, mixing ancient craft with new inspiration. They are the […]

HESA sheds light on the diversity of independent HE

This blog by IHE Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Joy Elliott-Bowman, was first published on the Wonkhe website.   Last week HESA published its second Alternative Provider (AP) data release, and should the Higher Education and Research Bill pass, one of its last. The single system of registration proposed in the Bill will remove the distinction between […]

Independent HE responds to HEPI report on alternative providers

This blog by IHE Chief Executive, Alex Proudfoot, originally appeared on the HEPI website. Today’s report from HEPI marks a valiant attempt to summarise the data published so far on the large and incredibly diverse independent sector of higher education, and to assess the potential impact of the Higher Education and Research Bill on its […]

A new vision for validation in the HE sector

Blog published on 8 September 2016 by Alexander Proudfoot, Chief Executive of Independent Higher Education. Our pilot project with the OU and QAA has been announced today and the press release is available here. For most people the word validation means to be praised, to receive a good result and to be recognised for something you have excelled […]