Universities’ union, University and College Union (UCU) Scotland has raised concerns that universities’ growing financial reliance on international students is compromising academic quality.

This comes amidst a growing debate on rising numbers of overseas students at Scottish universities and the methods they use to recruit these students. It also follows the recent controversial partnership entered into by Glasgow Caledonian University with private company Into University Partnerships to recruit international students and provide them with English language preparatory courses – a first for the Scottish sector.

Dr Tony Axon, Research Officer for UCU Scotland says: “Some postgraduate courses are concentrating on getting international students in, potentially to the detriment of domestic students as courses can go over old ground to cater for these students. There have been rumours of universities tailoring courses in this way for international students and that content may be changed or ‘dumbed down’ to some extent to meet the needs of international students.”

Axon links this concern to Glasgow Caledonian University’s use of a private company to increase their level of overseas students. He fears this could lead to a lowering of admission standards for international students. He continues: “Part of the problem with Into is that universities are in a financial contract with the company and they then need to get their money back so there is a far greater chance of these universities taking on students that don’t have the sufficient qualifications.”

The convenor of the Glasgow Caledonian Combined Union Committee and academic leading the campaign against the partnership echoes these worries. Dr Nick McKerrell warns: “One of our concerns is that the Into plan is unique for Scottish universities in that it will be recruiting mainly undergraduate students who will be here for three or four years. The majority of international students currently in Scottish universities are doing postgraduate courses which are normally only a year long. So the university will be making even more money from these students and these students will need even more support because they will presumably be coming here at a younger age, with lesser English language skills. They will be more vulnerable and we have worries that they may be exploited by the universities. We are also concerned that they wouldn’t be able to meet academic standards and that the academic quality of the universities will suffer as a result.

“We’ve had real concerns over the way some courses have been approved by universities to meet the needs of international students. It has been a very secretive process and academics have largely been kept in the dark. There has been a shift away from traditional academic assessment techniques and towards presentations as a mode of assessment, for example. I have seen evidence of this but it is happening on the QT in quite a secretive way.”

Glasgow Caledonian University categorically refutes these claims, however. The university, which was recently rated the best in the UK for international student experience, says that the partnership is a joint and equal venture for the benefit of the university and its students. Arguments against it are, they argue, ideological and unwarranted, provoked by fear of the privatisation of higher education.

A spokeswoman for the university says: “The university will have full control over academic matters and is committed to the highest quality education and experience for all its students.

“The Into partnership will attract additional international students over and above our normal undergraduate intake and the university will have full control over academic matters. Surplus funds from the venture will go back into educational provision.

“This is a question of additionality, not ideology and the university has communicated in detail with staff about the Into partnership and the tangible benefits it will bring to the university.”

Universities Scotland also rejects claims of falling standards as a result of the rising international student population on the basis that academic reputation is paramount to universities and they would not jeopardise this by allowing quality of qualifications or of student experiences to suffer.

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