IUSS
Select Committee
submission
ASKe's contribution to the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) Select Committee inquiry into "Students and Universities"
During December 2008, ASKe responded to the invitation to provide written submissions to the IUSS Committee's inquiry into "Students and Universities". Whilst this inquiry is looking at a range of factors affecting the HE sector; the ASKe response appropriately focused solely on the section of questions regarding the degree classification, and made a number of practical recommendations for inclusion in the Committee's final report.
The committee has now reported and the final report can be downloaded
from: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmdius.html
ASKe welcomes many of the report's recommendations, and has made the following detailed response:
Download ASKe's response
Download ASKe's original written submission
Margaret Price and Chris Rust were subsequently invited, as part of a panel which included the Vice Chancellor and students, to give oral evidence to the Committee when it visited Oxford Brookes on 30 March. MPs were interested in the nature of standards and consistency of standards between disciplines and institutions.
The uncorrected transcript may be viewed at :
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmdius/uc370-ii/uc37002.htm
The Student Assessment and Classification working Group (SACWG) also responded to the invitation to provide written evidence to the Committee. SACWG is a small and informal body of academics and administrators who share an interest in assessment. Its membership has evolved overtime (since inception in 1994) and the organisational hub of the Group is Oxford Brookes University, where Dr Chris Rust acts as convener of the Group.
It was commissioned to report to the Burgess Group (which was considering the future of the honours degree classification) on issues relating to degree classifications, other national approaches to final awards, and assessment regulations. SACWG is currently investigating the assessment of work-based learning in foundation degrees.
Download the SACWG written submission (permission received from IUSS)
