Letter: Private colleges

Further to your article on the standards in UK private colleges and accreditation (Analysis, THES , September 14), it is worth noting that Newbold College in Bracknell, Berkshire, offers degrees through Columbia Union College (Maryland) - accredited by Middle States - and Andrews University (Michigan) - accredited by North Central.

The college is also accredited by the Open University validation services, offering OU-validated bachelors and masters degrees in the UK system.

We may not be visited by the Quality Assurance Agency but the Council for National Academic Awards and its successor, OUVS, have always insisted on rigorous quality assurance procedures.

Our students are thus guaranteed a quality degree recognised throughout the UK as being of the same high standard as a degree from any other UK university.

We have been used to accreditation and validation visits and reviews for years and so are more experienced in this kind of external and internal assessment than many older universities.

John Baildam
Director of academic affairs
Newbold College, Bracknell