University challenge

Adispute settled out of court could – and should – herald a culture change. Pok Wong sued Anglia Ruskin University, claiming that its prospectus had “fraudulently misrepresented” the business course she enrolled on in 2011. Ms Wong took a first, but felt she had not received value for money and disputed the claim of “highquality” teaching. Anglia Ruskin says her claims against the institution have not been proven in law. Ms Wong hopes universities will be careful about what they say in their prospectuses and that students will do more to stand up for themselves if they believe they should.

Ms Wong is absolutely right. A balance obviously has to be struck: no one wants students suing if they, say, don’t get the grade they felt they were entitled to, whether they did the work or not. But the university sector in general has changed. It acts like a private business, charging fees for its services and offering unconditional places to fill courses that, in some cases, don’t provide much in the way of employment prospects. Yet because everything is guaranteed by the government, there are fewer mechanisms in place than there normally would be for students who believe their course does not offer what was promised. There is no regulatory tool to ensure quality or seek redress. If a student is paying for something, they are a customer – not a charity case.

Let this be a warning to higher education: you must be 100 per cent clear about the product you offer and whether you can deliver the goods. If not, you are increasingly likely to get sued. Likewise, students need to think more like the consumers they are and pursue degrees that will benefit them in the long-run. After all, they aren’t cheap.