Some Students Need to Fail

Melissa Nichols, interim Associate Dean of Academic Services at Drew University writes of her experiences giving students an “F” grade. Nichols writes of her struggles to sympathise, offer advice and assistance, and accommodate students as both an instructor and associate dean.

Ultimately, not failing a student who has not produced passing assignments or learned anything in the term, Nicholas argues, does not help the student. S/he will not have learned to take responsibility for her/his own actions.

For Nichols’s insightful piece in Inside Higher Ed, please click here.

Higher university fees may deter mature students

A recently released report called Never too Late to Learn for the National Union of Students and the million+ (a university think tank) is warning that rising tuition fees may be putting off mature students for applying to university.

The report draws on figures from UCAS (the  university admissions body) which shows that applications from applicants 21 or over has declined by 11.4% in the last year. The report speculates the drop in applications from mature students is evidence higher tuition fees are deterring mature students from higher education. Currently, mature students are one-fifth of full-time undergraduate students.

The Department of Business Innovation and Skills said “Mature students make a valuable contribution to higher education, bringing real-world experience, knowledge and skills into the classroom. New students do not have to pay upfront. Instead they can make manageable monthly repayments and graduates once they are in well paid work.

The report also found that mature students are less likely to have the A-level qualifications most school leavers have and are more likely to study part-time, study locally, and be ethnic minorities, and have disabilities.

For the original BBC article in its entirety please click here.