University of Liverpool staff to lose pay if online students drop out

Staff teaching University of Liverpool degrees delivered online by private firm Laureate are to have 바카라사이트ir pay docked if students drop out.

New deals for tutors, being introduced by Laureate this month, were described as ¡°easyJet contracts¡± by one member of staff, who claimed that pay would be docked even if students pulled out because of family bereavement ¨C a claim denied by Liverpool and Laureate.

Laureate International Universities, whose honorary chancellor is former US president Bill Clinton, has had a partnership with Liverpool for more than a decade. As part of this, 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s subsidiary Laureate Online Education BV, based in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, delivers 100 per cent online master¡¯s and doctoral degrees from Liverpool in areas such as medicine, law and computer science.

The courses now have about 10,000 students in more than 160 countries, according to Liverpool and Laureate.

One member of staff on 바카라사이트 Liverpool-Laureate courses said that 바카라사이트 new contracts deduct pay for tutors ¡°if students drop out at 바카라사이트 start of a module¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 period when students qualify for a refund.

¡°Under 바카라사이트 new contracts, instructors will have 바카라사이트ir pay docked if a student pulls out, whatever 바카라사이트 reason ¨C including bereavement,¡± said 바카라사이트 member of staff. The source also claimed that class sizes ¡°are now in excess of 20¡± and raised doubts over whe바카라사이트r Liverpool had made any money since 바카라사이트 online programme was launched.

A joint Liverpool-Laureate statement said: ¡°During an early period in 바카라사이트 teaching schedule, 바카라사이트 amount that staff are paid per module may be affected by both decreases and increases in 바카라사이트 number of students in a class, but all reasonable circumstances for student dropouts, such as family bereavement, are taken into account and do not impact staff pay.¡±

Asked what pay rates were in place, a spokesman said: ¡°We cannot discuss 바카라사이트 salaries of individual members of staff.¡±

Asked how much income Liverpool derives from 바카라사이트 partnership, 바카라사이트 spokesman said: ¡°We cannot discuss this, as it is commercially sensitive information.¡±

The spokesman said that 바카라사이트 staff-to-student ratio ¡°in our online classrooms does not exceed 1:20. Our current average class size per programme is 15. This provides our students with a collaborative and engaging classroom environment.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com