Committee Member
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England, and we regulate on behalf of all students. We protect the interests of students by supporting a diverse and independent higher education sector. Our primary aim is delivering positive outcomes for students – past, present, and future.
Our strategy for 2025-2030 sets out our four attitudes that shape how we regulate: ambitious, collaborative, vigilant and vocal.
We are seeking to appoint up to six independent committee members from a wide range of universities and colleges to join the OfS Quality Assessment Committee (QAC). The QAC advises the OfS on quality and standards matters across higher education, including applications for degree awarding powers (DAPs).
Under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (HERA), the QAC is responsible for providing advice on how the OfS assesses quality and standards at higher education providers. This includes providers seeking to join the OfS Register and those seeking DAPs.
Alongside up to three OfS board members, the majority of QAC members must have significant experience of delivering higher education on behalf of an English higher education provider, and it is desirable that they are actively engaged in doing so at the time of appointment. Section 46 of HERA sets out the specific committee membership criteria required to fulfil the function of providing advice on DAPs applications. Details of current members are available on our website
We are looking for new committee members who can help ensure that we represent and reflect a wide perspective of a diverse higher education sector. You might have experience of either working in an English university, in an independent provider (with or without degree awarding powers) or in an English further education college, or you could be an employer of graduates.
Your role within these education providers might also include representing or promoting the interests of students or research experience.
For those working at universities and colleges, we are particularly keen to receive applications from those with senior academic leadership experience and responsibility for the design and operation of effective academic governance arrangements and the delivery of high quality experience and outcomes.
You will use your individual perspective and expertise to form and articulate views on the content of DAPs assessment reports, providing independent, robust and high-quality advice to the OfS.
The QAC meets between four and six times a year depending on workload. In 2026, you would be expected to be available to attend an induction event (for which you would receive an attendance fee of £300) and up to two meetings. We expect the committee to meet more frequently in 2027 than in 2026.
We hold some meetings online via Microsoft Teams, while others take place in person (where in-person attendance is encouraged). In-person meetings are usually held in our London office in Canary Wharf.
Meetings last up to three hours with additional time needed before each meeting for reading and preparation. Papers are circulated to members electronically using a browser-based board portal, normally one week before the meeting (or two weeks where a member is a lead reader of an assessment report).
When asked to act as a lead reader of an assessment report on DAPs, you will be paired with another member of the committee. You will consider the report independently and then meet with your partner lead reader to discuss your views. You will help the committee to effectively consider the assessment report by guiding the committee to the sections of the report that warrant the most attention and discussion. Preparation time before each meeting may range from two to four hours. It will be at the higher end of the range if you are assigned to be a lead reader of a provider case.
Information is on our website about Degree awarding powers and assessment reports.
An attendance fee of £300 is paid for meetings (including preparation time). Travel and subsistence expenses may be claimed in accordance with OfS policies.
Please complete the questionnaire which will ask you to identify what aspects of experience you bring that support the provision of independent advice on the quality and standards of higher education, as required under Section 46 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
When selecting candidates, we will consider the overall balance of the background and skills across the committee. This includes taking account of a candidate’s experience with the diverse nature of higher education providers regulated by the OfS, as well as ensuring a broad mix of experience across different types of universities and colleges.
Please also provide a statement (up to two pages in length) explaining how you meet the requirements for the role. It is important that your application statement addresses all the criteria listed in the person specification and outlines your current role and relevant experience.
Please also separately upload your CV to the recruitment portal.
We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do. We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
For further information please contact Kate.Nickols@officeforstudents.org.uk
To fulfil the role of the committee as set out in HERA, we are looking for people who (between them) have experience of:
a. providing higher education on behalf of:
i. an English higher education provider which is not authorised to grant taught or research awards,
ii. an English further education provider, and
iii. an English higher education provider which is authorised to grant taught or research awards
b. representing or promoting the interests of individual students, or students generally, on higher education courses provided by higher education providers,
c. employing graduates of higher education courses provided by higher education providers,
d. research into science, technology, humanities or new ideas, and
e. encouraging competition in industry or another sector of society.
We recognise that interested applicants may meet more than one of the above criteria. We expect applicants to identify which criteria they may meet in their initial statement.
For those members employed by universities and colleges, we seek senior academic leadership experience, with responsibility for the design and operation of effective academic governance arrangements.
We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience to fulfil criteria a(i), a(ii), d, and criteria c and e in combination.
We are particularly interested in applications from those who work at providers with the strongest performance in providing a high-quality student experience which enables positive student outcomes. You may have experience of working with new high-quality institutions that are seeking to do things differently.
Able to prepare for, attend and participate in two meetings and an induction session in 2026, and up to six meetings in 2027.
Thursday 10 September 2026 (afternoon)
Monday 14 September 2026 (morning)
Wednesday 16 September 2026 (morning).
We are the independent regulator of higher education in England.
We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
Our work covers all students whether undergraduate or postgraduate, home or international, young or mature, full-time or part-time, studying on a campus or by distance learning.
