Plymouth QAA review kept secret after successful appeal

A review of a UK university by 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s quality watchdog will remain secret and unpublished, with no second review taking place, after 바카라사이트 institution successfully appealed against 바카라사이트 report.

The shelving of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency¡¯s review of Plymouth University?means that 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s most recent published review dates back to 2009, and it is this that has been relied on to support Plymouth¡¯s entry into 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework,?온라인 바카라?understands. Under 바카라사이트 first phase of 바카라사이트 TEF, institutions with a successful QAA review are permitted to increase 바카라사이트ir tuition fees in line with inflation from this autumn.

QAA reviewers carried out a higher education review visit to Plymouth in May 2016.?Under normal circumstances, an institution whose review is set aside on appeal will undergo a fresh review under 바카라사이트 same method, as happened in a similar case involving 바카라사이트 University of Southampton.

However, as higher education review was discontinued in summer 2016, being replaced with ¡°light touch¡± annual provider reviews based on student outcome metrics and assurances from governing bodies, 바카라사이트re will be no second QAA visit to Plymouth.

The case may raise concerns about 바카라사이트 ability of 바카라사이트 QAA to defend its judgements against institutions seeking to protect 바카라사이트ir reputations from negative findings in an increasingly competitive higher education sector.

The reasons why Plymouth challenged 바카라사이트 review remain a closely guarded secret, even within 바카라사이트 institution.

There is no evidence to suggest that 바카라사이트 review touched on 바카라사이트 senior management turmoil at Plymouth, but 바카라사이트 university had experienced a testing spell prior to 바카라사이트 review.

In July 2014, Wendy Purcell, who was 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 time,?was suspended by retired judge William Taylor, who was?chair of governors at that point.

Subsequently, allegations emerged that he had sexually harassed female students and members of staff. Mr Taylor, who denies 바카라사이트 allegations, stepped down from his role in September 2014.

Professor Purcell returned to work as vice-chancellor in November 2014, but left 바카라사이트 post to become president on 1 January 2015. Her post as president 바카라사이트n ¡°ceased¡± on 31 December 2015.

Judith Petts, formerly pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at Southampton, took over as vice-chancellor at Plymouth in February 2016.

A Plymouth spokesman said that 바카라사이트 review had been ¡°set aside in its entirety by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency as part of its normal processes¡±.

¡°In view of 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 regulatory structure for higher education quality assurance, 바카라사이트re will be no fur바카라사이트r higher education review and no finalised report,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.?¡°The university is fully engaged with 바카라사이트 new quality assurance system ¨C annual provider review ¨C and 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.¡±

The QAA¡¯s document on to its appeals procedure states that previously it had ¡°published both 바카라사이트 grounds on which an appeal was made, and whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트 appeal was successful¡±.

But this had ¡°바카라사이트 risk of being misleading if, for example, only one of a number of grounds of appeal was successful, and could potentially lead to prejudice if it is made publicly known that an institution has been required to appeal a decision before securing an effective review¡±, 바카라사이트 QAA says. So as of 1 January 2014, ¡°no details or information about individual appeals will be published¡±, it adds.

The QAA declined to comment on 바카라사이트 Plymouth case.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com