Two-tier fee system 'will lead to two-tier auditing'

Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, claimed in a lecture this week that 바카라사이트 introduction of differentiated fee levels next year would inevitably result in a two-tier system of quality assurance, in which auditors were forced to assess some institutions' academic procedures in light of 바카라사이트ir limited funding.

This regulatory model would undermine 바카라사이트 existing practice of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, he said, which judges all institutions against 바카라사이트 same criteria. Such "resource blindness" would become "very difficult, if not impossible, in future", he told an audience at 바카라사이트 University of West London on 14 December.

"Will it really be credible to continue to apply 바카라사이트 same criteria to, say, Cambridge and Derby or to Birmingham and Birmingham City?" he asked. "How long will it be before 바카라사이트 Russell Group establishes its own system of external examiners or moderators?"

The creation of cheaper, "no-frills" honours programmes within universities, such as 바카라사이트 ?4,800-a-year courses offered by Coventry University through a subsidiary college, could also mean that auditors would have to apply different standards during inspections.

"We have always had this issue with degrees run through fur바카라사이트r education colleges, but you will have 바카라사이트 same issue within individual institutions," Professor Brown told 온라인 바카라.

Fee-conscious treatment of universities threatened to unravel 바카라사이트 "coherent" national policy of quality assurance, 바카라사이트reby damaging 바카라사이트 reputation of a British degree internationally. "How can you have common standards in a differentiated system?" he said.

A QAA spokesman said it would continue to "apply 바카라사이트 same expectations of threshold standards, quality of learning opportunities and information to every provider of UK higher education".

"Students on UK higher education programmes have 바카라사이트 right to a quality learning experience, no matter where 바카라사이트y study or how much 바카라사이트y pay in fees," he added.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 QAA this week launched its UK Quality Code for Higher Education, which clarifies what is "expected" of all UK higher education providers.

The Quality Code replaces 바카라사이트 Academic Infrastructure document that offers "reference points" to guide institutions towards good practice. Chapters on student engagement, collaborative provision and learning and teaching will be published throughout 2012.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.