Surveyors cull 15 to 'safeguard standards'

Fifteen higher education institutions accredited by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have failed to be accepted on new partnership arrangements.

The institute has announced partnerships with 37 institutions that meet standards on student entry, research and teaching quality and graduate employability. Only 12 universities met the standard last June, but another 25 are in the pipeline for acceptance.

All present students and this autumn's intake will be eligible for RICS membership. But once the final cohort has graduated, 15 institutions, including Brighton, Luton, Paisley, Staffordshire and Westminster universities, will no longer be RICS partner institutions.

Rob Tovey, RICS head of education and training, said that the changes, while controversial, aimed to raise professional standards. For example, three-quarters of entrants must achieve 17 A-level points or their equivalent.

Applications to surveying courses have dwindled in the past decade and entrants were admitted with a lower score.

There are also criticisms about access. But Dr Tovey said: "We allow 25 per cent for universities to do with as they wish - 25 per cent is a lot of social inclusion."

Barry Redding, head of surveying at South Bank University and chairman of the Association of Heads of Surveying, said: "The threshold could well discourage people who historically have gone on to make a very successful, worthwhile career as chartered surveyors."