Graduate to sue over ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree
A GRADUATE is seeking £60,000 in damages against a university she claims made misleading claims about its high-quality teaching and career prospects.
Pok Wong, 29, left Anglia Ruskin University with a first-class degree in international business strategy. However, she says two years of study left her with a “Mickey Mouse” degree that has not helped her career.
She is now seeking compensation for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation, after claims the university made in the prospectus about “quality education and prospect of employment after graduation”.
The university has rejected her claims and said it would “robustly” defend any legal action.
If successful, the case could have implications in the way universities promote themselves. Students increasingly see themselves as customers due to the thousands of pounds they pay a year in tuition fees.
Ms Wong, who now lives in London, left Hong Kong in 2011 to study at the university’s Lord Ashcroft International Business School in Cambridge.
In papers lodged at London County Court, she said: “Since graduating it has been proven that the degree does not play a role to help secure a rewarding job with prospects.” She alleged one lecturer arrived late for lessons, finished early and sometimes told students to “self study”.
She asked the court to award damages for repayment of her tuition fees and living costs during her course. Ms Wong said: “Although I graduated with a first-class degree in 2013, it is a Mickey Mouse degree.”
An Anglia Ruskin University spokesman said: “We are aware of the claims made by this former student and we are robustly defending the current litigation. Her complaints have been through the full Office of the Independent Adjudicator process.
“She then made a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office which was rejected after a thorough investigation. ” Students will be able to compare the value of university courses under Government plans to introduce a gold, silver and bronze rating system.
It will reveal students’ chances of getting a job after taking a course, prospective earnings and drop-out rates from the course.