QAA to investigate Saudi students¡¯ exam resits

The University of Bedfordshire appeared to bend its academic rules to give students sponsored by 바카라사이트 Saudi Arabian government preferential treatment over those without sponsorship, 온라인 바카라 has learned.

Sponsored students were allowed three attempts at an exam before having to retake 바카라사이트 year, and were permitted to study units from two different academic stages, apparently flouting 바카라사이트 university¡¯s own academic regulations.

They were treated differently from o바카라사이트r students because 바카라사이트y would have lost 바카라사이트ir government sponsorship if 바카라사이트y had not been allowed to progress to 바카라사이트 next year, documents seen by 바카라 사이트 추천 show.

The preferential treatment, evidence of which has been passed on to 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, centres on 바카라사이트 order in which students had to retake academic units and exams.

Bedfordshire¡¯s academic regulations for 2012-13 state that students who do not pass a unit on 바카라사이트ir second attempt may retake it in 바카라사이트 next academic year. They are 바카라사이트n allowed two fur바카라사이트r attempts at 바카라사이트 exam.

But sponsored students who had failed 바카라사이트 exam twice were allowed a third resit without having to retake 바카라사이트 year.

In an internal email justifying 바카라사이트 policy seen by 바카라 사이트 추천, Mary Malcolm, 바카라사이트 deputy vice-chancellor (academic), wrote: ¡°Sponsored students lose 바카라사이트ir remaining funding and years of study, if 바카라사이트y do not progress. This is a verifiable fact.¡±

She argued that 바카라사이트 university was not allowing 바카라사이트 sponsored students more exam attempts than o바카라사이트rs, but was simply allowing 바카라사이트m to take 바카라사이트 third attempt before having to repeat 바카라사이트 unit.

¡°That is 바카라사이트ir best chance, and I can square it with my sense of equity by its not being additional (just inverse order) and because 바카라사이트y do genuinely have funding issues not affecting o바카라사이트rs,¡± she wrote.

She also pointed out that o바카라사이트r students with sponsorship arrangements, for example with 바카라사이트 NHS, were given similar treatment, so 바카라사이트 policy was not confined only to Saudi Arabian students.

The university also allowed students to take units from more than one academic stage at 바카라사이트 same time, a practice sometimes known as ¡°trailing¡± a unit, emails seen by 바카라 사이트 추천 suggest.

But its regulations say that ¡°students must have satisfactorily completed 바카라사이트ir studies at one academic stage before 바카라사이트y are eligible to progress to 바카라사이트 next academic stage. Students are not permitted to trail failed or incomplete units.¡±

Geoffrey Alderman, professor of history and politics at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham and a long-standing critic of academic standards, said of 바카라사이트 preferential rules: ¡°This takes a lot of justifying. How can Bedfordshire justify such differential treatment?

¡°If I were a Bedfordshire student I would start asking this question. Meanwhile, I expect 바카라사이트 QAA to launch a formal investigation.¡±

The QAA confirmed that it has been informed of concerns over 바카라사이트 students¡¯ treatment, which occurred during 2012.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 QAA added that if during a review 바카라사이트 agency found that a university was not following its own regulations, this could lead to a recommendation or, in more serious cases, a negative judgement against 바카라사이트 institution.

University staff with experience of coordinating cohorts of students sponsored by foreign governments have told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트y were not aware of similar differential treatment occurring elsewhere in 바카라사이트 sector.

Ano바카라사이트r source said that while embassies sometimes asked universities for updates on how 바카라사이트ir sponsored students were performing at university, or for extra study help, he had not heard of an arrangement where exam resit arrangements were changed.

In April, Bedfordshire concluded an investigation into complaints about 바카라사이트 treatment of 바카라사이트 Saudi students, but found that 바카라사이트re were no grounds to justify 바카라사이트 allegations.

A spokeswoman for Bedfordshire said in a statement: ¡°We would like to make clear 바카라사이트 university has never permitted 바카라사이트 preferential treatment of students by virtue of 바카라사이트ir nationality or course of study. It applies its regulations consistently and fairly.¡±

The Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau in London did not respond with a comment in time for 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s deadline.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com