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Monday, 27 June 2011

Graduate sues Edinburgh Napier University over degree mark

Glen Dickson, 23, wants to take Edinburgh Napier to court because he was given a 2:2 rather than the 2:1 he says he deserved.

Mr Dickson has instructed lawyers to act against Edinburgh Napier University to get his BSc in Architectural Technology changed from a 2:2 to the 2:1 he says he deserves.

He said that the lower mark has left him struggling to get a job and he is prepared to take the battle to court.

Mr Dickson said he was in a car crash and had serious health problems in his final year. He wants the university to take these factors into consideration.

His overall grade was 59.41% - just 0.09% lower than the 60% needed for an automatic 2:1. He is particularly angry that other students with lower marks between 58% and 59.4% were given a discretional 2:1.

He also claims a "disastrous" module, which about a third of the 60 students failed, pushed his final degree mark down by a further 6%.

The university acknowledged his complaint regarding the module but said the rules dictated that his grievance should have been lodged while he was still a student.

Mr Dickson has instructed law firm Beveridge and Kellas to fight for a change to his degree classification and is applying for civil legal aid to help him challenge the grading.

He told the Evening News: "I'm really disappointed, I worked really hard throughout my whole degree and I had a 67.9% average at the start of the year. Then this nightmare module made me drop six per cent.

"My average after all my exams was 60.26%, but a weighing is applied to the final exams so I ended up at 59.41%.

"In the university rules it says that people who score between 58 and 59.4% should be considered for a 2:1. It says people with 59.5% or over are automatically a 2:1 but in between those scores there isn't any guidance.

"I'm not aware of anyone who has scored like this before but it's left me in a sort of purgatory. All I'd like is my 2:1 score. So far I've made informal and formal complaints to the university but I want to take this as far as it will go."

A spokeswoman for the university said: "We have been liaising with Glen but will not comment publicly on cases like this.

"We have rigorous procedures to ensure the correct degree classification is awarded. Where cases are borderline, we examine the student's best marks from final year modules to establish what degree they should have.

"For complaints to be formally investigated they should be raised while the student is still matriculated with us. If the complainant is no longer a student we advise them of other ways that they can raise issues such as through the ombudsman."

Source: Stv.tv, Friday 24th June 2011

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