Complaints lead watchdog to state its quality audits will remain rigorous
The quality watchdog has warned universities not to put their academic standards in "peril" as they introduce emergency measures to beat the unions' exams boycott.
Peter Williams, chief executive of the Quality Assurance Agency, has stepped in after complaints from academics that some institutions were disregarding the integrity of degrees with plans to allow students to progress or graduate without completing the required assessments.
Speaking to The Times Higher this week, Mr Williams echoed comments he made in a letter to the Association of University Teachers, which is refusing to set exams or mark any work in support of its campaign for a 23 per cent pay rise over three years.
He said: "If, in these circumstances, an institution chooses to continue to award qualifications, we shall expect it to do so taking every measure to ensure its academic standards are not put in peril and the value of its awards is maintained."
Mr Williams, who stressed that autonomous universities were free to implement contingency measures, said he would not take sides. But he made it clear that the QAA, during its regular audits of quality assurance procedures, would expect universities to show that they had adhered to the QAA's ten-volume code of practice governing student assessment and external examinations.
His warning came as Newcastle University joined a list of institutions criticised by their own staff for implementing emergency measures. Degree classifications, the university said, could "be determined on the basis of all other, completed work".
A press statement released by AUT members at Newcastle describes the move as "a gross breach of academic integrity".
The university said: "We sincerely hope the dispute will be settled in time for students to graduate as normal, but we can't run the risk of being in disarray, so the only course of action is to plan for the worst outcome."
At Birmingham University, final-year students have been told that where exams are cancelled, "the decision as to your final award... will be based on the marks you have achieved in the other assessed pieces of work".
If students feel they could improve the class of degree by sitting cancelled exams, they will have the option to do so "at a later date".
Manchester University last week issued students with a "guarantee" that they would graduate on time, whatever the impact of the boycott.