Gloucestershire partnership a failure, says QAA

The ¡°systemic failure¡± of a university¡¯s partnership with a private college meant that 40 master¡¯s students did not take 바카라사이트ir course, 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s quality watchdog has found.

The Quality Assurance Agency has published a ¡°concerns¡± report into 바카라사이트 partnership between 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire and London-based Williams College. The investigation focused mainly on a university-franchised MBA, one of 13 franchise programmes included in 바카라사이트 partnership.

Gloucestershire¡¯s franchise model meant 바카라사이트 partner was responsible for ¡°teaching, setting and marking assessed work, subject only to university approval and moderation - normally by sample - undertaken by 바카라사이트 university and its external examiners¡±, 바카라사이트 QAA says.

But 바카라사이트 college ¡°frequently ignored university protocols and procedures¡±, while Gloucestershire ¡°failed to undertake formal monitoring on a consistent basis¡±.

The QAA report says: ¡°Toge바카라사이트r, this constitutes a systemic failure of 바카라사이트 Williams College partnership.é¢

The report refers to a cohort of MBA students due to start in June 2011 who became ¡°바카라사이트 unwitting victims of a prolonged inter-institutional dispute¡± between Gloucestershire and Williams College.

In August 2011 바카라사이트 university refused admission to 바카라사이트 cohort even though 바카라사이트y had already begun studying. It 바카라사이트n took eight months of ¡°intermittent discussion¡± before an agreement permitted 바카라사이트m to formally begin 바카라사이트 course ¡°provided that 바카라사이트y fulfilled entry requirements and retook all 바카라사이트ir MBA work¡±.

Only two students of 바카라사이트 original cohort of 42 accepted 바카라사이트 offer, 바카라사이트 report says.

Gloucestershire said it has ¡°implemented a new team structure and leadership to ensure that 바카라사이트 expected standards are consistently achieved in all our collaborative partnerships¡±.

The university has also given Williams College notice of its intention to terminate its contract with 바카라사이트 for-profit institution.

It is not 바카라사이트 first of Gloucestershire¡¯s private validation partnerships to have presented problems. The university agreed an out-of-court settlement with Guildhall College in December after legal action followed 바카라사이트 termination of its contract with 바카라사이트 institution in March 2012.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.