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Our Peoples Petition before the Petitions Committee at the Welsh Assembly makes excellent progress in exposing the appalling maladministration, misconduct, disregard for complaints procedures, victimisation of whistle blowers and abuses of power and students that goes on inside Welsh universities.
P-03-204 Public Accountability and Consultation in HE
The Committee considered an update to this petition.
Action
The Committee agreed to:
- Write to HEFCW to seek their views on the petition, in the context of their Corporate Plan which seeks to strengthen governance in the sector;
- Write to the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning to seek his views on whether the governance review could incorporate the 13 points listed in the petitioner’s correspondence;
- Write to Higher Education Wales to seek their views on the issues raised;
- Write to the University and College Union, and the National Union of Students to seek their views on the petition.
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As a result of our Petition and complaints.
The Quality Assurance Agency is to review its responsibilities and status regarding the Cause for Concern process.
The Director of Reviews Dr Stephen Jackson has confirmed that the issues raised by complaints concerning the University of Wales, Trinity University College and the University of Wales Lampeter have caused a rethink of the Cause for Concern process.
“I have looked into the matter of your complaint and can confirm that it was discussed with the Chief Executive at the Causes for Concern Process Committee on 7 May 2010. Your complaint has raised a number of issues about QAA’s responsibilities and status which the committee considered needed further investigation. The Committee meets again on 30 July and will have the opportunity to give further consideration to the matters that you have identified.
We will write to you again once we have fully investigated your complaint. “
We think that this is a sign of much needed reform in keeping with our Peoples Petition the forthcoming review of higher education governance.
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In response to our Peoples Petition, Minister for Children Education and Lifelong Learning Leighton Andrews orders review of Higher Education Governance. He writes…
“Many of the issues raised by the petitioner relate to questions of governance in HE in Wales. For Our Future sets a clear direction of travel for HE in Wales that demands significant changes to the nature of delivery , engagement with regional and local communities and relationships with other providers. It sets a framework for ensuring excellence, competitiveness and responsiveness which will enable HE in Wales to meet the needs of a modern knowledge based, globally competitive economy and inclusive society . It is critical that Wales’ higher education system of national and institutional governance provides an appropriate mode l and structure to support these aspirations.
Consequently, I have initiated an independent review of higher education governance in Wales. The Review will consider the key issue of whether existing forms of national and institutional governance match the needs, expectations and future requirements of HE in Wales and identify any changes required.”
Click Here to download the full version
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Chris Chapman Chair of the Petitions Committee asked for a response to the Education Ministers Letter
We replied
I have also lodged further objections to the University of Wales Lampeter changing its articles of government to facilitate the merger with Trinity University College. Should my objections be upheld I will then make a complaint to the Charity Commission who can remove its charitable status which has been put at risk by maladministration contrary to charity law.
Then there is Trinity University College using the age old practice of using un-agreed minutes of past hearings to undermine and discredit students during complaint board hearings. In law this would mean all other complaint board hearings and OIA decisions may well be invalid…
The Minister has been reported on the BBC’s Political blog as saying
“Our HE institutions are small compared with those just over the border. For all the achievements of higher education institutions, they have had only a very limited transformative impact on our economy, and on our global presence and reputation”
With regard to global presence and reputation you are losing it, in addition to UK visitors I also get traffic from organisations and educational establishments in North America, Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, India, and recently traffic from China has rocketed to be the biggest single visitor.
Search terms include “university of wales scam” I think they are referring to the practice of stitching up students with false allegations of plagiarism, “university of wales reputation” and “university of wales lampeter + suicide/reputation/corruption/scandal/sleaze”.
Click Here to download the full version
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People Petition on Public Accountability and Consultation - Update
Dear petitioner,
I am writing to inform you that, following an update, your petition will be considered at the Petitions Committee’s meeting on Tuesday 13 July.
The papers for the meeting are available at: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-other-committees/bus-committees-third-pc-home/bus-committees-third-pc-agendas.htm
Copies of correspondence relevant to your petition are available at: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-other-committees/bus-committees-third-pc-home/bus-committees-third-pc-agendas.htm?act=dis&id=190920&ds=7/2010
A live broadcast of the meeting will be available on Senedd TV at http://www.senedd.tv/index.jsf.
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Privy Council Receives Objections to Trinity / Lampeter Merger
The Privy Council has received an objection to any application by Trinity University College and the University of Wales Lampeter to amend their Articles of Government to facilitate a merger.
If you have a story to tell or wish to support these objections please contact us. More..
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The Lamp-Post Becomes a Student Support Website
Due to the increased number of students contacting the Lamp Post disillusioned at the failure not only of institutional complaints procedures, but also of the final decision from the OIA who seem to make little effort to inquire into the facts before they make a judgement.
The Lamp Post is going to operate as a general student support site for England and Wales with a group of volunteers.
Being the victim of injustice or what is commonly known as a stitch up can have an extremely negative and destructive effect on students, who with high debts are vulnerable beneficiaries. Moreover, it is difficult to get other people to believe that these pillars of society can behave in such an outrageous manner, and the usual response is to label the student as being paranoid or crazy for suggesting such a thing.
The mere fact Universities can get away with it is a clear sign that regulation falls short of what we expect in our schools, and the student union seems powerless to do anything or are out of their depth in taking on the establishment. Its not the student that needs psychiatric help as it is a normal reaction to be depressed at this situation.
Please contact us if you think we can help or you need someone to chat to who can empathise with your experience, everything is strictly confidential and we do nothing without your agreement.
We are also looking at forming a pressure group to bring about positive change for students so we would be grateful for any offer of support.
More soon.
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The Lamp-Post Secures Release of the Haines Watts Report into the University of Wales Lampeter.
As a result of a successful complaint to the Information Commissioner HEFCW throws in the towel.
“Following the approval of the proposed merger of the University of Wales, Lampeter and Trinity University College, Carmarthen, we have reviewed the disclosability status of the HW (Haines Watts) Corporate Finance Report that was the subject of your information request of 28 April 2009.
Following this review, we have concluded that the Report can now be published in redacted form, and we attach a copy for your information.
A copy of the redacted Report has also been sent to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in addition to the other information already provided to the ICO to assist his review of this case.
HEFCW” Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
The Failure of Corporate Governance?
We have not had time to fully digest and analyse the contents of the report but items 41 and 42 below give a disturbing insight into the failure of corporate governance by virtue of the fact that lay members of the Council were surprised and shocked. The function of non executive Lay Members of the University Council is to prevent this situation from happening, a task made impossible if they are not fully informed or told the truth.
The redaction of items 43 to 46 on pages 39 and 40 under the confidentiality exemption means we can only guess what was said, and that the redacted was probably a collection of deleted expletives!
“41. Similarly at the Council meeting on 13 March 20081 discussion of the negative indications arising primarily from falling recruitment the minute records included the note: “Concern raised by some of the lay members of the seriousness of this financial news which was a surprise and a shock”.
42. We have seen a document [1] prepared by the Vice-President to inform a meeting between herself, the President and the Vice Chancellor at a meeting in November 20072. We understand that it was subsequently circulated to some Lay members of Council.”
[1] We would also like to see a copy of this document.
Now that the police have handed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service on MP’s expenses can we now expect an inquiry into the funding of £14,500 in legal expenses for former Visitor Carl Cooper to defend his cover up of institutionalised abuse of students and academic fraud? UWL’s solicitors legal giant Eversheds have refused to comment on these matters, I wonder why?
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act confirm that lay members of the Council were lied to when they approved funding. If you tell lies to obtain money in any way its called fraud, and if you do it in collusion with somebody else its called conspiracy!
To download a copy of the Haines Watts report click here
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A Not So Merry Christmas!
A Sad But Familiar Tale Concerning the ‘Lampeter Experience’
Christmas 2007 was a sad one for me as I felt the full impact of the loneliness of the part time distance student when there was insufficient support from a tutor.
I had started the research masters course with the Department of Theology and Religious Studies (DTRS) at Lampeter College with high hopes and, after sending a large tranche of research material to my tutor, he told me that it was his intention to push me on to achieve what was required for an academic degree study. Sadly that support was not forthcoming and, in November 2007, he did not even respond to an email from me requesting a discussion on theoretical frameworks.
When later I queried the DTRS about this the department not only never answered my complaint about the lack of response to that email, but stated it was not the function of a research supervisor to develop an interesting debate with his or her students. Given that statement I had no confidence in continuing my studies through the DTRS and asked for a full rebate of my fees.
When I studied the complaints procedure I realised how long winded and biased it was towards a university. Throughout the process I often wondered why I was doing it as I felt there was little likelihood of success. This was not helped by the delays in response from the department to some of my letters and emails. In my complaint I stated that the DTRS and Lampeter College were prepared to take the fees from distance students but not provide the necessary support that such students required given that they could not access the facilities at the college.
In January 2009 I received a letter from the Pro Vice-Chancellor informing me that the first stage of the investigation had been held and that she did not feel there was sufficient evidence to uphold my complaint - a decision which I did not accept. The Assistant Registrar was helpful in trying to arrange the Academic Complaint Re-examination which took place on April 20 at Lampeter College. I felt that those who represented the university at that hearing were fair and professional. I was assured I would receive a report within a few weeks.
Six months later I was still waiting. By then I had found The Lamp Post and been in contact with Trevor Mayes. I contacted the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education and was informed that I should ask Lampeter College for a Completion of Procedures letter or ask the College to progress my complaint. Only if I had sent more than one reminder and had not received a response within a reasonable time should I contact the OIA again! I did write to Lampeter College on that basis and, after another two weeks of silence, had decided that I would prefer to contact the Quality Assurance Agency. But then I received a phone call from the quality assurance office at Lampeter College.
That was followed by a letter which stated that the Chair of the Complaints Committee, had reported: “The University of Wales, Lampeter accepts that it cannot demonstrate that the student was given adequate guidance on what to expect from her main supervisor or that the student received adequate supervision. Therefore the fees paid by the student should be reimbursed….”
A good ending? Not really because it has been a long, often traumatic process and I never did receive from Lampeter College that which I had really wanted and thought was on offer: an interesting and informative discussion of the material I had researched leading to a thesis that would have academic merit. The question now is: will the College learn from such experiences and offer better supervision and support for those who come to them hoping to obtain a degree? I do hope so.
Pip Land
December 2009
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