Fairness appeals

Your issue of 6 February quotes criticism of the decision by the board of the Quality Assurance Agency not to publish details of appeals against review judgements on higher education providers (“QAA appeals will be on the q.t.”).

The reason for that decision is simple. We think it wrong to publish criticism of a university or college when that criticism is believed by an appeals panel not to be justified.

If the appeals panel dismisses the appeal, we shall publish the review. If the appeals panel refers back the review judgement as being in some way flawed, we shall publish the results of the new review that was commissioned as a result of the appeals panel decision. We think it only reasonable not to publish a judgement that has been replaced by a new review.

Sir Rodney Brooke
Chair, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education