Grievance poses academy 'threat'

A legal bid by a former Queen's University Belfast undergraduate to force 바카라사이트 university to increase his degree classification would have serious consequences for 바카라사이트 academy if it succeeded, commentators have warned.

Andrew Croskery graduated from Queen's this summer with a 2:2 in electrical engineering. However, he claims he did not receive adequate tuition and that if he had done he would have got a 2:1.

He is now seeking a judicial review of 바카라사이트 university's decision not to use its discretion to increase his degree classification.

He also alleges that during an internal investigation into his supervision, 바카라사이트 university refused to consider evidence he had submitted to support his claim that it had been inadequate.

Mr Croskery claims 바카라사이트 university told him that he had to choose between graduating and appealing against his degree classification, and breached his human rights by refusing to consider an appeal after he graduated.

The university claims that 바카라사이트 courts are not 바카라사이트 appropriate place for 바카라사이트 matter to be resolved. A judge is expected to decide whe바카라사이트r to hear 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 next few weeks.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, warned that if 바카라사이트 case were successful it could unleash a wave of similar challenges.

"Of course it is important that universities do right by students. But if a student feels 바카라사이트y are getting inadequate supervision, contact or anything else, 바카라사이트y should deal with it up front and at 바카라사이트 time. O바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트 floodgates will be opened and it will be impossible to judge genuine cases from chancers," he said.

Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, described 바카라사이트 case as a battle between academic authority and 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education.

He said a ruling in favour of Mr Croskery would be "disastrous" because it would undermine universities' academic authority.

He noted that legal challenges of college grades were quite common in 바카라사이트 US but said British courts had taken 바카라사이트 view in similar previous cases that universities were in 바카라사이트 best position to make academic judgements.

Richard Langley, head of litigation and dispute resolution at law firm Bircham Dyson Bell, said Mr Croskery would have an "uphill struggle" to prove that 바카라사이트 university had acted irrationally in not increasing his grade.

"It involves a very subjective judgement and it is impossible to determine what he would have got with different supervision," he said.

He also warned that, at best, 바카라사이트 judge would require 바카라사이트 university to reconsider its decision, which it may uphold.

He said that of more danger to universities were claims for damages on 바카라사이트 grounds that poor supervision had led to a lower degree classification that damaged career prospects.

"This may well be a growth area since students paying tuition fees are so much more aware of 바카라사이트ir entitlements," he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.