Welcome to Warnborough Wonderland! or Cuckoo land! … as the case may be!

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by ismo, Jul 5, 2004.

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  1. ismo

    ismo New Member

    It is truly amazing what Warnborough’s Tempest-Mogg and DR Julian Ng can cook up in their little den up in the attic of their rented abode, Warnborough House, otherwise known as ‘the Warnborough University Campus’.

    Their fantacy or should I say ‘Warnborough Vision” includes a Student Charter!

    The document actually states, I quote:

    “ 1. Introduction

    a) This Charter sets out details of our continuing commitment to provide high standards of service to everyone using our services and facilities.

    b) Warnborough University has maintained a clear sense of purpose and identity since 1973, when it first formulated its objective of making advanced study at a high standard available to everyone, in a welcoming environment. In line with this tradition, our objective is to continue providing high quality part-time and full-time adult education,working in all our programmes and activities to achieve standards of excellence. “

    In the real world, of course:

    •Warnborough courses are taught by independent third-party institutions in the UK and overseas whose QA and teaching policies/strategies and systems cannot be verified or monitored by Warnborough or its unrecognised accreditors.

    •Warnborough College may have been established 1973 which diappeared with Tempest-Mogg and creditors money in 1995, see http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/1996-7/weekly/071196/news/list.htm, only to re-emerge as a university scam, in London 1997.


    An other quote reveals:


    “2. What you can expect from the University

    The University undertakes to:

    b) provide high quality programmes of study delivered in an effective, flexible, student-centred and well-planned manner;

    c) Provide information on all aspects of the University, its services and learning programmes;

    e) Offer additional help and support if you have a disability or require learning support;

    f) Regularly monitor the courses and teaching offered, updating them as appropriate;

    g) Provide adequate learning resources to support your study;

    h) Offer follow-up guidance and information on the completion of a course; and

    i) Strive to provide a learning environment (whether physical or virtual) that is welcoming, safe, clean and appropriate to your needs.”

    Which translates to

    •High quality programmes? All Warnborough's courses lack validation by an institute or university with degree awarding powers. The scam itself lacks any recognized accreditation.

    •Warnborough courses are taught by independent third-party institutions in the UK and overseas whose QA and teaching policies/strategies and systems cannot be verified or monitored by Warnborough even it wanted to do so with would be difficult since

    •Warnborough does not employ any full-time academic staff or have wide ranging subject specialism expected from an institution with a wide ranging programme and course portfolio at all levels.

    •It may provide information on all aspects of its operations – pity none of it is true.

    •Learner support and staff development with the rest of their QA related processes exist on paper only. Understandable – if you have no university and willing learners, what is there to support?

    •The same applies to the monitoring of courses and teaching. By whom?

    •By their follow-up guidance they must mean the Alumni Association which is mainly used to lead the students into believing that they have qualified from a university after all instead of a cuckoo land college.

    •The physical learning environment consists of a ‘campus’ of a half a dozen rooms of various sizes in a 4-storey semi-detached house with a cute little den and kitchenette in the attic for the directors use only. Otherwise, I wouldn’t call it even virtual.


    Final quote:

    “7. Teaching and Learning

    a) Through its Academic Board(s), which includes staff and student representation, the University keeps under review the quality of its teaching, the relevance of the qualifications it offers and the value of its teaching programme.

    b) The University reviews annually its procedures for the validation, review, monitoring and approval of courses.

    c) Through staff development and appraisal, faculty monitoring procedures and special training programmes, all staff are encouraged and assisted to improve the quality of their performance.

    d) The Director of each Faculty, acting as a link with the University management, is responsible for undertaking a programme of class visits, monitoring attendance records and ensuring compliance with
    course expectations and requirements.

    e) Each Faculty holds regular staff meetings and members of the Senior Management Team are available to attend them on request. Tutors have the opportunity to consult their Faculty Director individually.

    f) Students are warmly encouraged to make their views known to the University via various forms of feedback mechanisms and representation at official meetings.

    g) All staff are expected to carry out their duties punctually and efficiently and to observe health and safety regulations.

    h) Tutors are also expected to:

    i) Keep up to date in their subject and in developments in teaching
    ii) Provide course information and a scheme of work for each course;
    iii) Maintain a learning environment and ambiance suitable for adults;
    iv) Carry out the University’s Registration and administrative
    requirements;
    v) Provide advice, information and learning support as appropriate;
    vi) Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the University’s
    learning programmes; and
    vii) Respect the confidentiality of any information gained in the course

    of their employment.


    12.Questions

    If you have any questions about any of the information contained in this Charter or your rights as a student, please free to contact the Student Liaison Officer, Mrs Evelyn Tanner on (01227) 762 107 or write to:

    Warnborough University
    Warnborough House
    8 Vernon Place
    Canterbury
    Kent CT1 3WH
    United Kingdom

    Alternatively, you can email [email protected] (Julian Ng)”

    Source: Warnborough University Student Charter

    Facts remain:

    •All other personnel and bodies exist on 'paper only' basis and are used for honorary or representational purposes as required.

    •Warnborough's academic faculties and boards, teaching, mentoring and support staff fall into the 'paper only' category or called upon on a short-term contract basis as a need arises.


    Suggested Questions for DR Julian and/or ‘the Student Liaison Officer’:

    •Given that Warnborough is not a University - even a Virtual one but an Irish Registered Limited Company, why all the pretense?

    •Given that Warnborough doesn't teach anything or have proper resources for doing so, why all the pretense?

    •Given the above and its lack of workable QA procedures and policies, why does Warnborough pretend to care about quality and what do they mean by the statement: “Its programmes are underpinned by ISO9001 standards?”

    •Given that Warnborough claims to be 'stateless' or is it global, under nobody’s jurisdiction and lacks recognized awarding powers itself, does it not find it difficult to have its 'courses' validated by a recognized universities?

    Cheers

    ismo
     

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