Widening participation
For full-time young first-degree students, the proposed indicators include social class as measured by the job of the household's main breadwinner; social class as measured by the postcode; and whether the student went to a state or an independent school.
For part-time, young first-degree students and mature first-degree students, the proposed indicators include social class as measured by the postcode and whether the student has any previous higher education qualifications.
Similar data would be collected for students on sub-degree courses.
Student progression
For full-time first-degree students, the proposed indicators include the proportion of students changing course but remaining at the same institution; the proportion transferring to another institution; and the proportion that genuinely drop out. Figures for the number of students who later return to their studies could also be produced.
Student progression will not be measured for part-time students and those at sub-degree levels.
This set of indicators would be considered alongside those for widening participation, (see table above).
Learning outcomes
For full-time first-degree students, the proposed indicators include the proportion of students who receive a degree, those who receive an award other than a degree, those who transfer to another course or those who leave without any qualification.
Learning outcomes will not be measured for part-time students and those at sub-degree levels.
This set of indicators would be compared with the average for the sector as a whole, taking into account the entry qualifications of the students and the subjects studied at the institution.
Efficiency
For full-time first-degree students, the proposed indicators include the time it takes for students to complete the course or transfer on to another one.
For part-time first-degree students, the proposed indicators include the module pass rate.
For the part-time first-degree students, this set of indicators would be supported by information on the number of students, the number of students with module records, the number of modules per student and the number of full-time equivalent students per module.
Efficiency will not be measured for sub-degree students.
Employability
For graduates of full-time courses, both degree and sub-degree, the proposed indicators include the proportion of graduates and diplomates seeking work six months after qualifying. This set of data would be broken down by sex because male and female employment patterns differ.
The data would also be grouped to show young and mature graduates and diplomates, plus those from less affluent backgrounds and those who entered institutions without higher education qualifications.
The Department for Education and Employment is exploring new ways of measuring employability, and the work will feed into this year's consultation.
Employability will not be measured for part-time students.
Research output
The proposed indicators include the results of the research assessment exercise. There would also be four further indicators: the share of PhDs awarded per share of academic staff costs; the share of research contracts awarded per share of academic staff costs; the share of PhDs awarded per share of funding council allocation; and the share of research contracts awarded per share of funding council allocation.
The accompanying context statistics would be used to create a research share index.
The above text refers to institution-level indicators only; the proposed sector-wide indicators will be calculated differently.