Poor HE = what should i do? Sue?

jaffacakesmmm

Hi all,

I read recently in the press that there has been an increase in the number of students suing their universities for misselling the course, inadequate resources, poor quality of teaching to name a few.

I feel extremely angered with my (full time) BSc course and despite paying the same tuition fees as other students across the country, I do not feel as if I am being given the same service or quality. Other students do share similar opinions but it's normally my voice, as the student rep, that gets heard.

Does anyone have any advice on where I stand on this? I am entering my final year and obviously do not want to ruck any boats in this year. Previous efforts at passing on my own and other students comments about the course has been met with great defensiveness by the lecturers and no effort to improve their service.

The college and course is awful and I feel as if I am out of pocket for a course that I could have done at home and filled in with work experience/voluntary placements to get the practical skills. I wouldn't want other students to go through the same.

The college has no student union. It's affiliated with another college that has a student union but the college is not affiliated with; and our year consists of about 20 students!

So any advice? Have any of you guys been in the same position?

DrFluffy

The boom in the educational legal market was inevitable, as soon as you charge for a service, people expect what they were promised at the outset.

I'm guessing you knew that your college had no SU when you started, if not, you didn't do your research. As for the course itself, if they are not delivering what they promised, then write to them and ask for it. If you still do not get it, then think about action. However, if this is a case of your expectation changing, and the course no longer matching up to what you perceive you deserve, you will be hard pressed to get anywhere.

jaffacakesmmm

The uni the college is affiliated with did have one but this was dissolved at the end of my year 1. The college is not prepared to assist in developing a student union of their own - I myself have never been involved directly with NUS and so don't know whether the college can have an SU when it's affiliated with a separate institution

I have the course spec and I can provide evidence that the college has not provided a full and adequate service. I, and others, didn't receive an interview before the course commenced - apparantly we all should have been invited to an interview to talk about the course and yet again, the college did not provide this.

DrFluffy

Does your college subscribe to the NUS (regardless of not having a SU)? Is so, approach them for help and advice.

If not, then visit your local CAB office...

jaffacakesmmm

No, I know the college doesn't subscribe to NUS - the tutor's attitude was that they are dependent on the affiliated uni. I'll contact the registry about it.

I've piled suggestions and requests to the tutor from myself and other students about improving the course/teaching but haven't got anywhere from the tutor/lecturers. I don't want to blacken my name further but do you think that writing to the principal this year is a good idea? It's just, without a student union, it's always been my voice and face that is between the students and the lecturers.

DrFluffy

Write to the principle, and copy in The Visitor and your Head of Dept. Explain that you've tried to get answers from 'Grass Roots' and are becoming increasingly frustrated.

Rather than *just* whinge, tell them what you would like to see, and by when. That gives your letter purpose, and they have to act upon that.

Good luck.

Savvy_Sue

I know where you're coming from as the Student Rep! We had two in our year, and we complained about one particular lecturer who never got through the material, mostly because he was always off doing other things!

What I hadn't banked on was that t'other rep didn't do this option, so when the lecturer came in and said "I hear there's been a complaint!" Muggins had to explain our grievances in person. He already didn't like me that much because I didn't share his theological viewpoint, AND had read the books which he thought would help me see things his way, AND thought them a load of old tosh!

Anyway, he spent the rest of the year saying things like "Well I'd like to spend more time on this passage but of course we need to press on", and he did actually finish covering the material, if not in the depth he'd have liked!

To avoid that happening to you, I wonder if you could get other people to back up your complaints, to countersign letters etc?

jaffacakesmmm

Savvy_Sue wrote:

To avoid that happening to you, I wonder if you could get other people to back up your complaints, to countersign letters etc?

Thanks for your comments. Being a rep of a small group is a very hard position to be in. One student shares my comments but has received negativity as a result and so is less inclined to speak up now. Another refuses to come to the student rep meetings as they seem so pointless owing to the attitude of the lecturers. The whole group is frustrated with the course and the fact that our views are not taken on board. I often receive the comments from students who are less confident to speak up. I've taken on board DrFluffy's comments but it's just all built up over the past two years - my own personal frustrations and that of other students that I just wanted a bit of advice from others who may have dealt with this situation before.

I will write to the principal on one particular issue that I know other students will back me up on - as for other issues, they'll probably have to be dealt with more tact.

welf_man

jaffacakesmmm wrote:

The uni the college is affiliated with did have one but this was dissolved at the end of my year 1. The college is not prepared to assist in developing a student union of their own - I myself have never been involved directly with NUS and so don't know whether the college can have an SU when it's affiliated with a separate institution

This is interesting - I work for a Students' Union and don't recall any news about an SU being lost.

I would suggest contacting NUS direct to see if they can help - they do a lot of work with colleges to help develop unions and should be able to advise.

Best bet is to ring/email them in London and ask for the appropriate (North, South West etc.) Regional Officer to contact you. The contact details are here.

Good luck!

Mel.

jaffacakesmmm

welf_man wrote:

I would suggest contacting NUS direct to see if they can help - they do a lot of work with colleges to help develop unions and should be able to advise.

Thanks Mel - I've emailed the college about it and will contact NUS directly if the response is not satisfactory. At the college, we receive very little literature/info so my main port of call for this sort of advice is t'internet.

Thanks again everyone.