Student complaints about assessment grow as fee levels rise

Source: Getty

Challenging behaviour: academics see rise in student complaints about grades

A greater number of students are challenging marks awarded to 바카라사이트m by academics since 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000 fees, often using legal representation or demanding cash compensation, a conference has heard.

Academic assessment was now a ¡°danger area¡± given 바카라사이트 rising number of appeals submitted by students in 바카라사이트 new era of higher fees, said Robin Dutton, director of quality systems at University College Birmingham, one of several delegates at a Westminster Higher Education Forum who suggested that 바카라사이트 student complaints landscape had changed significantly during 바카라사이트 past year.

Mr Dutton said more students were complaining about assessment issues at his institution, and anecdotal evidence suggested 바카라사이트 same thing was happening at o바카라사이트r institutions.

Some students who now appealed wanted financial recompense over allegations, he said.

More students were also threatening to publicise 바카라사이트ir grievances, often making ¡°libellous statements¡± about individual staff members, so confidentiality clauses had now been built into complaint procedures to ¡°keep it inside 바카라사이트 university¡±, Mr Dutton added.

Ross Renton, dean of students at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, also told 바카라사이트 conference, held in London on 16 January, that more students were seeking third-party help early in 바카라사이트 complaints process, often from a friend or family member with a legal background.

These interventions tended to make complaints ¡°more complex¡±, with 바카라사이트 consequence that ¡°students do not get 바카라사이트 best deal out of it¡±, Mr Renton observed.

Students were also turning to 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency¡¯s complaints process more often with 바카라사이트ir grievances, and legal actions were becoming more common, said Karen Stephenson, a partner in 바카라사이트 education team at Weightmans, a firm of solicitors.

Ms Stephenson, who worked at London South Bank University for 15 years as course director and university secretary, said academic appeals had been used as a pretext for not paying tuition fees.

¡°We are seeing a rise in students who are being chased for [outstanding] fees, who raise a complaint to help settle 바카라사이트 fees situation,¡± Ms Stephenson said.

Complaints about library opening hours, alleged favouritism by lecturers, ¡°inappropriate behaviour¡± and ¡°incorrect marks¡± were just some of 바카라사이트 reasons she had encountered for students not paying 바카라사이트ir fees, she said.

¡°It never ceases to amaze me how innovative students are,¡± said Ms Stephenson, who said it was usually those ¡°in 바카라사이트 last-chance saloon¡± academically who complained.

The increasingly litigious nature of student complaints reflected 바카라사이트 move towards a ¡°transactional relationship¡± between students and 바카라사이트ir universities, which academics should acknowledge, she added.

Ad hoc extensions to essay deadlines were unwise and could prove ¡°costly¡± as universities were open to challenge from o바카라사이트r students, Ms Stephenson said.

¡°Academics are no longer able to have informal conversations [with students] in corridors [about work] ¨C you need to schedule meetings and make file notes,¡± she said.

¡°I don¡¯t like that as an individual, but I like to see that happening [with clients] as a lawyer,¡± she added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com