Key student statistics that were originally due out in January are now not expected until August, making planning ahead increasingly difficult for those in the Higher Education sector, according to Times Higher Education.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has introduced a new sector wide student data model for its 2022/2023 figures. However, after a series of shorter delays, HESA have yet again announced another delay in the student statistics publication.
The delay of the data has been criticised as a ‘serious deficiency’
Previous universities minister, Chris Skidmore, has said that the usual 18-month lag on the data has always been a “serious deficiency creating increasingly significant problems for a sector dealing with increasingly volatile recruitment markets”.
He recently told Times Higher Education: “That the data is now 2 years out of date is unconscionable. The sector cannot navigate the increasingly challenging environment by looking in the rearview mirror”.
In a recent report by the International Higher Education Committee (IHEC) characterised HESA as one of the “significant data deficiencies” within the UK system which are driving poor policy.
As chair of the IHEC, Skidmore says: “We need better recognition that without data we are acting with our arms tied behind our backs”.
Unless HESA delivers a culture change, we will see further prominence given to private sector providers of current and future HE data from the likes of Enroly, Studyportals and IDP Connect. We can, should and must do better.”
The student record is considered one of the sector’s greatest competitive assets.
Founder of the dataHE consultancy, Mark Corver, said that the student record is one of the sector’s greatest competitive assets.
Under normal circumstances changing it is difficult, but the recent reforms have complicated the process and contributed to the repeated delays.
According to Dr Corver: “It could hardly have come at a worse time for the sector, with uncertainty about postgraduate, international, completion rates and accommodation higher than normal.
“Some have told us that key planning work has been delayed or suspended, others that the duration of the checks seemingly needed is introducing doubts how reliable these data will be.”
He added that “the publication meltdown this year is a reminder that bold changes come with big costs and high risks”.
Jisc’s chief data officer, Rob Phillpotts, has said that the decision to delay the release came after a consultation with statutory bodies which required resubmissions of data.
“We recognise the ongoing impacts of the delay and the pressure this puts on data users,” Philpotts said.
“We ask that HE providers and other data users contact us directly to discuss their needs and Jisc will do everything we can to help.”
He added: “In April we completed our quality assessment of student data submitted by 12 January 2024 working to a stringent quality framework. This assessment established that the data met the standards required by the Code of Practice for Statistics and was fit for publication.”
However, Jisc has a range of statutory duties including to the Office for Students and the other funders in the devolved nations (SFC, Hefcw and DfENI).”
These regulators and funding bodies required data re-submissions from a number of providers by 30 April 2024 to meet their specific needs. In consultation with these bodies it was decided that published data should be delayed to align with the data used for regulation and funding.”
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