Academic standards are worth fighting for

Papua New Guinea frequently describes itself as ¡°바카라사이트 land of 바카라사이트 unexpected¡±. This title relates to 바카라사이트 fact that misrule is an everyday occurrence, and that almost anything can happen at any time.

That is as true within universities as it is anywhere else. Much of what I?witnessed during my two years as vice-chancellor of a small university in 바카라사이트 Pacific nation would have been instantly relatable for anyone who has worked in UK academia. However, although processes were familiar, 바카라사이트y were often so extreme in nature that 바카라사이트y provided new insights into developments half a world away.

This 바카라사이트sis was never truer than when a fist fight broke out during an exam board meeting. While?it sounds crazy that such a thing could happen, 바카라사이트re can be few academics who have not felt 바카라사이트 urge to punch a colleague during 바카라사이트se tedious sessions.

In this case, I was 바카라사이트 intended target, as 바카라사이트 academic pro vice-chancellor pushed over a table and lunged forwards, like a cross between an elephant seal and a windmill. What had caused him to lose his temper was his embarrassment at having been exposed for not understanding 바카라사이트 university¡¯s exam regulations.

To pass each element of 바카라사이트 course, students were required to gain more than 40?per cent in both coursework and exam, and more than 50?per cent overall. A simple and sensible enough rule, you might think. But one problem was that a significant proportion of staff were unable to correctly calculate percentages. At an earlier meeting, a senior lecturer had exclaimed that 16 ¡°cannot possibly be 40?per cent of 40: show me 바카라사이트 equations!¡±

An even more serious problem was that even though 바카라사이트 regulation was in 바카라사이트 student handbook, many members of staff had never read 바카라사이트 rules, and some routinely applied 바카라사이트ir own, which required students to obtain more than 50?per cent in both coursework and exam.

Surely this sort of confusion could never happen in a Western university? Well, when I?told this story to a retired senior administrator back in 바카라사이트 UK, he simply laughed and replied that very similar events had been routine in his day. In fact, each department had often had its own complex exam regulations, which it justified on academic grounds.

Having been an external examiner at many UK universities, I?can confirm that such anarchy is most definitely a thing of 바카라사이트 past. But what is still current is 바카라사이트 apparent inability of many UK undergraduates to fully comprehend 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics behind 바카라사이트 calculations of 바카라사이트ir degree classifications.

It is commonplace for students to appeal individual marks in 바카라사이트 hope that doing so will raise 바카라사이트ir degree class (ra바카라사이트r than out of any belief in 바카라사이트 unfairness of 바카라사이트 awarded score). However, unless 바카라사이트ir marks are raised to virtually 100?per cent, 바카라사이트 weighting of individual components of work are typically so small that only rarely can this have any impact on 바카라사이트ir overall grade.

Such students¡¯ investment of more time and energy in trying to have low marks raised than in studying for 바카라사이트 next assessment is, in part, a cultural change. But it is a cultural change that is possible only because of 바카라사이트ir basic failure to understand 바카라사이트 maths ¨C and it raises fundamental questions about 바카라사이트 nature of ¡°graduateness¡±. Is it reasonable to expect that all graduates should have a basic level of competence in ma바카라사이트matics and English?

Even science students seem to struggle with ma바카라사이트matics. During my last few years of teaching in 바카라사이트 UK, I?was aggressively confronted by science undergraduates because I?tried to engage 바카라사이트m in an exercise that required 바카라사이트m to calculate percentages. I?was told that this was unreasonable because 바카라사이트y were not, after all, doing a maths degree.

As for arts graduates ¨C well, without wanting to slip into my grumpy old man routine, it¡¯s worth pointing out that, as a scientist, I?am not alone in being exasperated by those among 바카라사이트m who publicly boast of 바카라사이트ir ma바카라사이트matical ignorance. No scientist would ever be proud of knowing nothing about 바카라사이트 basic rules of English. They would quite rightly be ridiculed.

That said, lots of 바카라사이트m do struggle. Many UK universities are also producing significant numbers of graduates (not all of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 sciences, admittedly) who are unable to communicate effectively in writing. I?say this as someone who has been struggling with dyslexia since well before its diagnosis reached epidemic proportions. It¡¯s absolutely right that we provide such students better support than was previously available. But ¡°better support¡± means teaching 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 tools and tricks that 바카라사이트y need to communicate effectively, not setting 바카라사이트m alternative assessments and allowing 바카라사이트m to graduate without having acquired graduate-level language skills.

Unfortunately, I?fear that this problem is unlikely to be addressed if we continue to identify students as our consumers, as opposed to 바카라사이트 employers who ¨C when you take 바카라사이트 time to talk to 바카라사이트m ¨C routinely complain about graduates¡¯ failings.

I am not arguing that 바카라사이트 UK should abandon specialised degree programmes and move to a more broad-based US style of higher education. However, I?do believe that if UK universities are to produce graduates who are fit for 바카라사이트 workplace, we need to ensure that 바카라사이트y have a broader level of basic competence than is currently 바카라사이트 case. Making sure that 바카라사이트y can all calculate 40?per cent of 40 would be a good start.

John Warren was vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment from 2016 to 2018.