Latest News
Response to Petitions Committee re the Review of Higher Education Governance
With regard to the question of whether the published report into higher education governance meets some of the concerns in my petition the answer is no, some of its proposals could be a step in the right direction, however, many issues need clarification. The parts of the report relevant to my petition are the need for change and Universities Wales: powers and responsibilities. read more
Is a Petition to the European Parliament under Article 13 of the ECHR No Effective Remedy the only way forward for public accountability and student complaints?
Foreign Students Beware – UK Universities and the Visa Game!
A large number of foreign students have been in touch with us over the conduct of universities that has devastated their lives and left them with serious debts. UK students who complain are well used to the sort of games these institutions play and the way in which they are abused, but all foreign students outside of the EU should be aware of the Visa game! Its simple your complaints are ignored until your Visa runs out; bye bye to you and your complaint. Problem solved!
Human Rights Abuses in Welsh Universities – Petition to the European Parliament
We have a Peoples Petition before the National Assembly for Wales on Greater Public Accountability in Higher Education. It seems the only way to bring attention to the appalling abuse of students and staff inside Welsh Universities is with a petition to the European Parliament. read more
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A Warning for Higher Education Whistleblowers!
The perception given by governments that the QAA’s Cause for Concern this is a credibly whistleblowing process concerning academic fraud, institutionalised abuse and maladministration is totally false, to quote the QAA
“Universities are private, self-governing, organisations that are accountable for their receipt of public funding but are not regulated by governments. There is no oversight organisation that can instruct institutions on how they run their affairs. QAA has no statutory powers and no remit to deal with matters relating to governance and management. “
This means that institutions can and do simply ignore the QAA which exposes the myth that there is effective regulation of higher education, it is the duty of governments to ensure and enforce adequate regulation and accountability, and it cannot use a ‘charity’ to do a job that requires statutory powers such as that of OFSTED or ESTYN. It puts vulnerable beneficiaries namely staff and students at risk. Registered charities must also demonstrate that they are not being influenced by organisations with a vested interest such as the Church in Wales and their fund providers which are the English and Welsh Funding Councils who they must challenge if their charitable purposes are being prejudiced in order to conceal appalling standards and wrongdoing.
Governments also give the perception that Funding Councils will withhold funding to ensure compliance, it is never going to happen. We feel the loss of credibility to the QAA over the Cause for Concern scandal is going to undermine the validity of its entire higher education review process. This supports the view of the former IUSS Select Committee that the QAA is ineffectual and should be scrapped.
Therefore, we have made a related complaint to the Charity Commission that under this part of the Quality Assurance Agency’s stated charitable purpose. A range of activities to secure HE standards & quality: reviews & audits of standards & quality in HEIs
..it has exceeded its powers to set up a Cause for Concern (CfC) Complaint Process in breach of its Memorandum of Association and various aspects of charity law. read more
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Peoples Petition
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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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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The Report into the University of Wales Lampeter by Haines Watts Corporate Finance
As a result of a successful complaint to the Information Commissioner HEFCW published a copy with redactions.
“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
We have made a complaint regarding the redactions which is still under investigation by the ICO
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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