Universities Scotland has provided written evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Culture Committee as part of its examination of the spending decisions made, and outcomes delivered, by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The response was made ahead of an oral evidence session in the Scottish Parliament with SFC managers on 29 September 2015.
Our written evidence provides comment on the the following areas:
- The SFC’s role in relation to Scottish higher education;
- The extent to which Outcome Agreements with universities are improving the way SFC allocates funding and secures high quality learning provision;
- Recent allocations of funding in the context of Ministerial Guidance;
- The effectiveness of the SFC in securing an internationally competitive research base, and building collaborations between university and industry;
- How successful the SFC is helping universities to widen access without displacing prospective students with sufficient qualifications;
- How successful the SFC is helping to produce skilled graduates who are capable of sustaining a career or creating new jobs;
- The capacity the SFC has to provide leadership and added value to universities; and
- How the SFC balances its roles in supporting the sector, providing a challenge function to Scottish Ministers, and helping to deliver Scottish Government priorities.