The Royal Economic Society has submitted its response to the Office for Students’ consultation on the proposed reforms to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). As a leading voice for academic and professional economists in the UK, the RES has considerable expertise in the use of data, evaluation, and evidence in higher education policy.
In our response, we welcome the proposal to include taught postgraduate provision in future TEF cycles. However, we also raise several concerns about the methodological and practical implications of the changes. These include the use of earnings data as a measure of quality, the proposal to base a provider’s overall rating on its lowest aspect rating, and the risks of bias within student experience metrics. We further highlight the importance of appropriate contextualisation and careful modelling to ensure fair, robust and meaningful outcomes.
The full response provides detailed analysis of each proposal and recommendations for how the framework can better reflect the diversity of students, institutions, and labour markets across the UK.