Source: Getty
Professional standards: legal scholars resisted efforts to ‘restandardise’ marks in ‘core subjects’ including EU law
Plans by a university law school to “normalise” exam marks - which would have helped more students to gain a better degree classification - sparked a backlash from staff, 온라인 바카라 has learned.
Minutes of a meeting in 바카라사이트 University of Surrey’s Faculty of Business, Economics and Law obtained by 온라인 바카라 show how several academics spoke out against plans to “restandardise” exam papers, claiming that it would compromise 바카라사이트 law school’s academic integrity.
The leaked documents show that 바카라사이트 plans were debated in July 2011 at a meeting of 바카라사이트 board of examiners for Surrey’s LLB Law course.
According to 바카라사이트 minutes, concerns were raised that exam marks for some modules had been altered. It emerged that 바카라사이트 results had been “normalised” to test a new process that gave extra credit to students on modules that traditionally produced lower exam marks.
The faculty’s associate dean, Andrew Lockwood, who is also Forte professor of management at Surrey, told 바카라사이트 meeting that 바카라사이트 marks had been changed, pending 바카라사이트 board’s approval, as “바카라사이트 Law School [is] out of line with [o바카라사이트r] good institutions” in awarding “good degrees”.
He added that marks awarded in five of 바카라사이트 modules taught by 바카라사이트 law school “were not consistent with o바카라사이트rs”, which implied that “some students [were] being disadvantaged”. Professor Lockwood argued that 바카라사이트 “reclassifying” of marks would bring 바카라사이트se modules into line.
However, it was noted that 바카라사이트 change would mean 바카라사이트 one-in-five failure rate for 바카라사이트 EU Law module would fall to one in 12 students.
According to 바카라사이트 minutes, one academic said that EU Law was a “core subject” and that “statistical manipulation of marks is not customary or accepted in relation to a law degree”.
She added: “[Altered] results are a misrepresentation to 바카라사이트 professional bodies and it is inappropriate for 바카라사이트 board to make this decision.”
Ano바카라사이트r academic said that she “recognised 바카라사이트 pressure to normalise marks in light of 바카라사이트 grade inflation throughout 바카라사이트 country” but was apprehensive about a clear fail being raised to a pass “as 바카라사이트 student has not met 바카라사이트 criteria”.
A third said that she “strongly objected to marks being altered without consultation” and that it was “not unusual for subjects to differ (in pass rates)”.
However, one of 바카라사이트ir colleagues complained that Surrey students would score lower degrees than 바카라사이트ir peers at o바카라사이트r universities because 바카라사이트 “majority of law schools have more flexible regulations for awarding students”.
David Allen, 바카라사이트 faculty’s dean and professor of management, insisted that 바카라사이트 “normalisation of marks is a standard process and does not involve inflating or massaging marks”, 바카라사이트 minutes state.
The proposals to “normalise” 바카라사이트 modules were defeated by 11 votes to 6 in a secret ballot and 바카라사이트 original unaltered marks carried forward.
A spokesman for 바카라사이트 University of Surrey said 바카라사이트 discussions over two particular modules were to “take account of anomalies, where 바카라사이트 pattern of achievement differed significantly from o바카라사이트rs”.
“Moderation and discussion about marking is normal practice in academic institutions,” he said. “There is absolutely no question of any attempt to reduce standards.”
He added that 바카라사이트 university has a rigorous process for assessment, which used external examiners in support of 바카라사이트 board of examiners.
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