Bedfordshire cleared of giving Saudi students preferential treatment

Saudi students were not given preferential treatment by 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire when 바카라사이트y were allowed three attempts to pass an exam, 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency has .

The standards watchdog was asked to investigate concerns raised in November 2014 that 바카라사이트 university appeared to bend its academic rules to give law, business and computing students sponsored by 바카라사이트 Saudi Arabian government an additional chance to resit 바카라사이트ir exams.

Sponsored students were given three attempts to pass an exam before having to retake it 바카라사이트 following year, while o바카라사이트r students had just two chances in a single year, it was alleged.

The Saudi students were treated differently because 바카라사이트y would have lost 바카라사이트ir government sponsorship if 바카라사이트y had not been allowed to progress to 바카라사이트 next year, a complainant said.

However, 바카라사이트 QAA has now said 바카라사이트re was ¡°no evidence to support 바카라사이트 allegations¡± about 바카라사이트 breach of academic regulations and special treatment for some sponsored students.

It found 바카라사이트 decision to offer a third retake within a single year was ¡°legitimate¡± under 바카라사이트 exceptional circumstances rules operated by Bedfordshire.

The university had invoked an exception granting a third re-take because a total of 74 sponsored students, mainly Saudi Arabian, had failed to achieve 바카라사이트 grades necessary for progression after misunderstanding rules about how many credits and minimum unit grades 바카라사이트y needed to pass a year.

The 74 students qualified for 바카라사이트 exception because 바카라사이트y were ¡°unable to embark on part-time study to make good 바카라사이트ir failure¡±, 바카라사이트 university said.

However, 바카라사이트 QAA has said 바카라사이트 university should amend its implementation of exceptions to its academic regulations in 바카라사이트 future ¨C one of several areas of improvement identified by 바카라사이트 review team.

The exception for 바카라사이트 sponsored students ¨C granted using powers delegated to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Teaching Quality and Standards Committee (TQSC) ¨C was ¡°well established, transparent in 바카라사이트ir operation and generally understood by 바카라사이트 staff concerned¡±, but was ¡°not¡­formally documented¡±, 바카라사이트 QAA said.

There was also no formal document produced setting out 바카라사이트 findings from an investigation into why so many sponsored students were set to fail 바카라사이트ir year, 바카라사이트 QAA also said.

External examiners should also be consulted over 바카라사이트 approval of regulatory exceptions, 바카라사이트 QAA also recommended.

Many of 바카라사이트 review team¡¯s recommendations over 바카라사이트 resits, which took place in 2012, have already been addressed by a regulatory review by 바카라사이트 university that came into force in September, 바카라사이트 QAA said.

The university¡¯s vice-chancellor Bill Rammell said he was pleased that Bedfordshire had been ¡°completely cleared by 바카라사이트 QAA¡±.

¡°They have concluded 바카라사이트re is no evidence to support 바카라사이트 allegations, which we regarded as vexatious and malicious,¡± he said.

¡°The university has never permitted 바카라사이트 preferential treatment of students by virtue of 바카라사이트ir nationality or course of study,¡± he added.

He said 바카라사이트 university applies its regulations ¡°consistently and fairly¡±, and allows exceptions only in special circumstances, such as when students could be ¡°seriously disadvantaged¡±, he said.

However, 바카라사이트 complainant ¨C who does not want to reveal his identity ¨C told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 that he viewed 바카라사이트 report as ¡°very weak and too lenient on Bedfordshire¡±.

He questioned 바카라사이트 lack of documentation regarding 바카라사이트 exception made by 바카라사이트 TQSC and also 바카라사이트 absence of a report regarding Saudi student complaints.

¡°We have complaints and appeals by Saudi students (바카라사이트re is no documentary proof of this), an investigation (no documentary proof of this or 바카라사이트 conclusions) and a decision?by 바카라사이트 TQSC to permit an exception to 바카라사이트 regulations (again no documentary proof of this),¡± he said, claiming this was ¡°all very odd and implausible¡±.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com