An investigation into Leeds Trinity University’s conduct between October 2022 and February 2024 found that the institution did not have “effective arrangements in place” to respond properly to the “rapid growth” in its subcontractual arrangements.
The watchdog concluded that the university had not put in effective enough processes and could not “appropriately respond to” the risks relating the partnerships delivering higher education on its behalf. It noted that the number of students taught in this way had grown rapidly, almost tripling in two years – from 3,600 students in 2020/21 to 9,400 students in 2022/23, it noted.
The institution accepted that the scope of its contractual partnerships had grown so quickly that they had put too much pressure on its oversight processes, and said it has made good progress on steps to address the OfS‘s concerns.
The probe did not extend to the university’s partners, and the OfS stressed that “no conclusions should be drawn” about them due to its report.
The OfS added that Leeds Trinity has been responsive and cooperative throughout its investigation, and the institution’s decision to accept the watchdog’s findings and pay its initial penalty meant that the overall sum it paid was lower because neither party had to spend more resources on “drafting and responding to detailed provisional and final decisions”.
“The university has also accepted that it is at increased risk of a future breach of OfS regulatory requirements relating to quality for students on subcontracted courses,” it added.
The OfS said that Leeds Trinity did not have enough resources to monitor academic assessments at its delivery partners and could not properly respond to the “scale of concerns” raised with the university – meaning that key risks, such as an increased risk of academic misconduct – were not escalated properly.
And the institution “did not properly consider” the impact of its decision to pilot accepting lower English language competency for students studying with its subcontractual partners, and did not make sure that arrangements were in place to help these students succeed.
Director of regulation at the OfS, Philippa Pickford, stressed that subcontractual arrangements had to be “carefully managed” to make sure students were getting a high quality education and could finish their studies with a credible qualification.
“Today’s settlement reflects the seriousness of these issues. It also reflects the university’s commitment to making improvements. The university has fully cooperated with our investigation, has agreed that it breached our regulatory requirements and has already taken steps which will ensure better protection for students in the future,” she added.
Universities retain responsibility for the quality of students’ education and the credibility of their qualifications under these arrangements
Philippa Pickford, OfS
But she warned that other universities using delivery partners to offer programs should “look carefully” at the case.
“Universities retain responsibility for the quality of students’ education and the credibility of their qualifications under these arrangements,” she said. “They must be certain that they are monitoring these courses effectively, and that their oversight of delivery partners ensures students receive the support they need to succeed in their studies and receive a qualification which will benefit them in the future.’
Charles Egbu, vice-chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, said the institution was “unwavering” in its mission to widening access to higher education.
“We fully accept the conclusions of this investigation, and we recognise that the rapid growth in our subcontractual partnerships created pressures that our systems and oversight processes were not fully equipped to manage at the time,” he added.
It follows a March Times exposé on university franchise providers that claimed they were being used by fraudulent students to enrol on programs and claim student loans – with no intention of paying them back.
An OfS report released in September warned that the growing number of subcontractual partnerships between institutions and third parties could present a number of risks to the sector if they are allowed to continue unchecked.
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