04/02 - November

Dear Colleagues

REVIEW OF NON-CREDIT-BEARING (NCB) RECORD

Introduction

Last year HESA undertook reviews of all if its data collections to fulfil one of the recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force (BRTF) report on Higher Education. As a consequence of the BRTF review of the NCB record it became evident that it should be possible to simplify the record significantly, while still meeting user requirements.

HESA has therefore worked with its Statutory Customers to identify the minimum requirements for data in this area. The proposals set out below are for a replacement NCB return designed to meet these requirements. Through this Circular, institutions are invited to comment on these proposals.

Proposals

HESA together with its Statutory Customers have identified that requirements for data about NCB provision are very limited. There is no requirement for data from Statutory Customers in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland although Statutory Customers in Wales require monitoring information on the numbers of students enrolled on Welsh for Adults programmes at institutions in Wales.

In addition, HESA is of the view that there is value in retaining some degree of data collection in this area; simply a measure of volume of NCB activity by cost centre. HESA has discussed this proposal with UUK and SCOP. Such a limited collection would ensure that the totality of teaching provision in HEIs continues to be recorded, and would also enable HESA to continue to undertake cross-record comparison and checking, which improves the quality of information collected across all the data streams. It is hoped, therefore, that HEIs will be encouraged to agree to return NCB volume information to HESA.

Further, HESA is aware that the Copyright Licensing Agency Higher Education Photocopying Licence (UUK/SCOP) has been amended (for implementation 1 August 2004) to permit multiple copying by HEIs of extracts of licensed copyright material for students on NCB programmes. The calculation of Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) licence fees for students on credit-bearing courses is based on FTE from the HESA Student Record. In order to support the amendment and to underpin the calculation of licence fees for students on NCB programmes, a measure of NCB activity in institutions will be needed. The proposals outlined below will meet this new need.

Based on these requirements, two aggregate tables have been designed to form the revised return. These are:

1) Volume of Activity by Cost Centre

In order to obtain a complete picture of teaching activity in institutions, and for comparison with Finance and Staff data, it is proposed to collect a measure of activity by cost centre. Two possible measures could be used:

• Contact hours – as defined in the current NCB return – which are converted to FTEs using a standard algorithm.
• FTEs – as calculated by the institution - following guidance provided by HESA.

Institutions are asked to indicate whether or not they support HESA collecting this information on behalf of the sector, and if so, their preferences for which of the two volume measures is used.

2) Welsh for Adults

The Higher Education Funding Council in Wales (HEFCW) has a requirement to monitor the amount of Non-Credit Bearing Welsh for Adults activity undertaken in Welsh institutions. Institutions in Wales will therefore be required to provide a count of enrolments on Non-Credit Bearing Welsh for Adults courses. However, only a single figure for total enrolments at each institution is required.

Next Steps

The 2004/05 reporting period has already begun and data is due to be received by HESA in September 2005. However, given that the proposals are for institutions to report less information, it is thought that it might be possible to implement change for the 2004/05 return. Thus, together with considering the proposals on content, institutions are asked to assess whether or not they could make the necessary system and procedural changes internally to implement the replacement NCB return for 2004/05. Alternatively, the existing return would continue to be made for 2004/05, with the replacement introduced for 2005/06. HESA plans to issue operational documentation to support this replacement return in February 2005.

Institutions are invited to comment on the proposals regarding the contents of a revised NCB return as set out, and are also invited to indicate their preference for the timing of implementation of the revised NCB return.

Responses to this consultation should be sent to Sarah Grimes (sarah.grimes@hesa.ac.uk) by 7 December 2004.

Yours sincerely

C Jane Wild
Director of Operations