Degree Criticism

Peter Williams, chief executive of the Quality Assurance Agency has spoken out against the current system of classifying degrees. He told the Commons Universities select committee that degree inflation is now rife due to smaller, research-led universities giving out too many firsts and 2:1s. He also stated that the current degree classification system is “not fit for purpose,” due to its intended use for a smaller system of higher education. In his words, it has "passed its usefulness."

Currently, 118 individual institutions have the power to award degrees, setting their own standards based on a threshold from the QAA. Peter Williams defended this system, however, stating that a national curriculum or regulatory examination would undermine diversity and be "the death knell of innovation."

The chair of the committee, Phil Willis, claimed there was a crisis of confidence in the higher education system with accusations of universities inflating the number of firsts they give out. Williams defended universities to an extent by saying external examiners and peer review ensured upheld standards to a degree although admitted it would be "foolish" to assume firsts from the University of Cambridge or "the University of Uttoxeter" would be similar calibres of qualifications.

"It's not that one is better than the other, but that they are different things. Information about a student's achievement is more important than a brand based on a five-point scale that claims to be the same across the whole country - which is logistically not possible," he said.

Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, said that degree inflation is already being acted on by universities: "The Burgess Group's report said the same thing last year - and it's why we are already taking forward the recommendations made in the report.

"Some 20 higher education institutions - UK wide and across the HE sector - will be trialling the Burgess recommendation of a new Higher Education Achievement Report because they recognise the importance of showing what their students have done throughout their university careers. The trialling is expected to begin in November this year."

Williams is adamant that standards are improving as students are working harder.
The committee was told that just 12% of over 600 complaints monitored by the QAA due to public debate over degree standards were worthy of further investigation.

In a statement to University Business, Peter Williams said the following:
"The current degree classification system is no longer fit for purpose and needs to be replaced. This has been recognised and accepted by the higher education institutions themselves. We will continue to support the Burgess Group recommendation that bachelor's degrees should be unclassified and that the plain degree certificate should be supported by more detailed information about students' achievements in the form of a transcript that includes the European Diploma Supplement. We look forward to an early implementation of the Burgess Group recommendations."