Admissions Reform - Creating a level playing field or an attack on institutional autonomy

This session will provide an overview of the Government's proposals for reforming the university admissions process and the practical implications of a move to a post qualification system, taking into account the recent reviews undertaken by both Universities UK and UCAS.

We also explore the context in which the proposals have been made, looking at the use of unconditional offers and other incentives, contextual offers and admissions and the possible role of a Code of Conduct for the sector and whether that might mitigate the potential for the UK Government to use its consultation as a basis for tightening its control of the way in which offers are made and accepted; will the sector be able to preserve institutional autonomy around terms of admission and its self-regulation and ownership of the UCAS applications system? We will also look at the potential impact of the proposals from a consumer law perspective.