Further education colleges (FECs) have delivered courses of higher education (HE) for decades. However, until the reforms of recent years, offering HE was not seen as central to the mission of many colleges. The future shape of tertiary education in the UK is currently up for debate and a substantial expansion of higher education in colleges is expected to play an important role in the government's post-18 funding review. This paper suggests that if, as is widely anticipated, higher education becomes much more central to the mission of further education colleges in England, the sector will nee
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Further education colleges (FECs) have delivered courses of higher education (HE) for decades. However, until the reforms of recent years, offering HE was not seen as central to the mission of many colleges. The future shape of tertiary education in the UK is currently up for debate and a substantial expansion of higher education in colleges is expected to play an important role in the government's post-18 funding review. This paper suggests that if, as is widely anticipated, higher education becomes much more central to the mission of further education colleges in England, the sector will need to investigate the sorts of skills leaders and governors will require to adapt and flourish in what could, in some respects, be a very different world.
As the amount of HE taught in colleges looks set to rise, a number of key questions must be addressed by college leaders. These include: Can HE be delivered within existing college structures designed for FE? How can different approaches to quality assurance (Ofsted/Quality Assurance Agency) be incorporated within the same institution? Are there additional demands made of teachers and leaders in terms of scholarship and research? How will colleges deal with a changing pattern of validation, as more colleges achieve validating powers? What impact will this have on relationships with partner universities? What are the implications for college governors and college governance? The authors make the case for change and outline the opportunity this presents for FE and skills providers. They also describe the challenges and complexities involved in entering any new market, but in particular higher education. The authors describe the steps that need to be taken to ensure successful and sustainable transition into HE.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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