Major problems at the University of Wales

BBC News - University of Wales: Quality watchdog looks at partner

BBC News - University of Wales 'should close if other plans fail'

 

Well well... so perhaps the Robert Kennedy College apologists were a little too quick on the draw

 

Interesting.

I just tonight received an email from Ciarán Rhys Jenkins, the education correspondent for the BBC in Wales with the links to the above articles. No additional commentary, just the links.

Obviously he (or the BBC, or both) want this information disseminated.

 

University of Wales Validation process (Quality /Standards): You Tube
University of Wales Challenged Part 1 / Part 2
Vice Chancellor, Mark Clement speaks about BBC criticisms…

University Of Wales Validation

 

I am very appreciative of this thread, as I am considering doctoral work at a UofW associated school. Please continue to keep us up to date.
Many thanks.

 

Oh wow, this is interesting...

 

Yeah this puts the RDI doctorate as a bit more risky...

 

The school in question that the university is dealing with in Singapore is apparently not an approved school. The Singapore Council for Private Education (CPE) do not have them on their list of qualifying schools under the mandatory Enhanced Registration Framework (ERF) that was recently introduced.

 

Please tell me if I'm stretching too far but at some point you have to go beyond questioning the associated schools and begin question U of W itself. Isn't that true? Maybe we haven't reached that point yet but it's not illogical to wonder, "If these are the standards that Wales sets for others, do they really have higher standards for themselves?" I think it's a reasonable question to ask.

 

"The University of Wales should be wound down and closed if other plans for its future fail, a report has concluded."

Whew. I almost took the plunge with their DL DBA program. Sometimes you just gotta listen to your inner voice.

 

As a university that was founded as a confederal university in 1893 … not likely.

 

That 1893 date may sound historic and impressive -- but take a closer look:

And where are those three 1893 "foundation colleges" today?

- Aberystwyth University left the University of Wales in 2008
- Bangor University left the University of Wales in 2008
- Cardiff University left the University of Wales in 2004

That "1893" date is perhaps a bit less impressive when you realize that none of the 1893 "foundation colleges" are still in the system. And other historic parts of the system, such as Swansea University and the former University of Wales College of Medicine, are now gone as well.

So while UWales does have a long history, that doesn't count for much, because the oldest and most prestigious parts of the system have already left it. At this point, the only pieces that remain are generally the youngest and least prestigious parts. So closing UWales is in fact a viable option at this point -- there simply isn't a whole lot of history or tradition left to save.

 

"That 1893 date may sound historic and impressive..."

I never wrote anything about the University of Wales being impressive or even unimpressive; only that with more than a 110-year survival existence (118 to be more exact), the likelihood of it going away is unlikely… in response to:

"The University of Wales should be wound down and closed if other plans for its future fail, a report has concluded."

This most certainly isn’t their (Wales) first rodeo…

 

Once upon a time there were a whole bunch of different campuses in the U of W system. Bangor, Cardiff, Lampeter, etc. I know that some of them broke out of the system and established themselves as independent universities (that seem now to have been a pretty smart move). I don't know who's in and who's out at this point. Regardless of that, it seems clear that whoever is remaining as the University of Wales is responsible for thousands of students. I'm sure that they will not be packing up their tents and leaving. More likely a whole bunch of people will get fired and some new administration will come in with a mission to re-establish integrity and blah and blah. That will be a good thing. It will be interesting to see what role distance learning plays in that new identity.

 

According to Gary Holtham (2011) in his Mar. 24th article, “The University of Wales has survived as a kind of empty shell, a body accrediting degrees earned in other institutions. And it “…has a war chest of tens of millions of pounds and no real role. It has no other academic departments politicking and competing for resources" (p. 2). Holtham advocates for a new UoW focus as an institution specializing in training an “ace” public sector, building a global reputation for it, and selling a UoW specialized public sector academic program/s in the international academic market. An interesting idea and short read article.

Holtham, G. (2011). World class institution needed to create best in class public sector leaders in Wales. WalesOnline.co.uk.
World class institution needed to create best in class public sector leaders in Wales - Gerry Holtham - Business Columnists - Business - WalesOnline

 

The "University of Wales" obviously sounds like a university -- but that's not really what it is anymore. Over time, it has basically turned into an accreditation agency, one that accredits several institutions in Wales (but not the oldest, best-known, or most prestigious ones) and many institutions overseas (including some questionable ones).

So does Wales really need this accreditation agency? Here's a hint: most Welsh universities have already voted "no", and have disassociated themselves from it. It's hard to see the point of a Welsh accreditation agency, if most universities in Wales have no interest in its services.

I think it's likely that the "University of Wales" will soon cease to exist in its present form. Possible options under consideration:

- The Welsh government has proposed to transform the "University of Wales" into a "national higher education advisory council". Presumably the existing schools that operate under its accreditation would become independent (as other former UoW schools already have).

- Alternatively, U of W has proposed that all of the schools in Wales that still operate under its accreditation could merge into one larger institution. This new institution would use the "University of Wales" name, and would presumably absorb the current UoW bureaucracy.

In either case, there will probably be no further "validation" of overseas degrees.

 

Are schools in England considered 'overseas'?

 

Probably. If you search the database of UoW-accredited institutions, you will see that "Wales" and the "United Kingdom" are listed as separate "countries" for accreditation purposes (along with some 30 other countries that have UoW-accredited schools).

If UoW no longer makes sense as an accreditation agency for schools in Wales, then it's hard to see why it would remain as an accreditor for schools in England (not to mention places like Dubai, Kenya, or Uzbekistan)