tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/degree-20022/articlesDegree – The Conversation2020-02-04T18:58:33Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1261952020-02-04T18:58:33Z2020-02-04T18:58:33ZFailing a subject isn’t just the student’s fault. Universities can and should help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313437/original/file-20200204-41481-z5jlhf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-woman-complaining-reading-letter-night-1095736880">from Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As Australian students start university, failure is probably the last thing they want to think about. But university failure is depressingly common. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">study in a large Australian university found</a> up to 52% of students in education, civil engineering, nursing and commerce failed at least one unit during their degree. </p>
<p>Failure is painful and costly for students, teachers and universities. Recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">studies</a> <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2016.1264927">show</a> several factors contribute to student failure. </p>
<p>They include personal factors such as self-confidence, study habits and attitudes; life circumstances such as health, employment and family responsibilities; and institutional factors such as policies, procedures and the curriculum.</p>
<p>Universities shouldn’t make <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2018.1462306">students wholly responsible</a> for removing the obstacles in their path to success. Universities need to work with students to stem the tide of failure.</p>
<h2>How many students fail?</h2>
<p>Our study analysed data of more than 9,000 students at one Australian university. We also surveyed 186 undergraduate students who had failed at least one unit of study in 2016 but were still enrolled in 2017.</p>
<p>Between <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">23% and 52% of students</a> in four major study areas – education, civil engineering, nursing and commerce – failed at least one unit of their degree. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-typical-university-student-is-no-longer-18-middle-class-and-on-campus-we-need-to-change-thinking-on-drop-outs-73509">The typical university student is no longer 18, middle-class and on campus – we need to change thinking on 'drop-outs'</a>
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<p>Around 58% of those who failed one subject went on to fail again, in the same subject or another in the course. </p>
<p>Our statistical analysis showed students who failed one subject were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">four times</a> more likely than those who didn’t fail to drop out of their course.</p>
<p>Failure rates differ across courses due to a combination of student demographics, including a higher percentage of international students, and other factors such as assessment policies and relationships between staff and students.</p>
<h2>It’s not because they’re lazy</h2>
<p>Despite being common, failure is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236759024_Failing_Students_in_Higher_Education_review">rarely discussed</a> in universities and is often attributed to students’ <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0363452032000135751">laziness or not caring</a>. But our study found students were often deeply disappointed about failing a subject. </p>
<p>Many students reported feeling shocked, highlighting their lack of understanding of expectations. Students identified heavy work burdens outside university, physical or mental health problems and financial strain as the main factors in their failure. </p>
<p>Most students experienced a combination of these factors that increased their inability to cope with their study load. </p>
<p>This was particularly the case when they had to repeat units, paying the full amount of fees again and increasing their stress.</p>
<p>One student told us:</p>
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<p>The more units I fail the more I have to pay […] Sometimes I am so overwhelmed about what I have to do and what to do if I fail that I just cry in the middle of the night until I fall asleep.</p>
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<p>Other factors beyond their control were family responsibilities, poor curriculum or assessment design, lack of support from teaching staff and inflexible university rules. </p>
<p>They also identified their own poor study habits, learning or language difficulties, lifestyles or social isolation as factors. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-an-international-student-in-australia-how-do-i-tell-my-parents-the-pressure-they-put-on-me-is-too-much-111834">'I'm an international student in Australia. How do I tell my parents the pressure they put on me is too much?'</a>
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<p>Around one quarter of our survey respondents were international students. This is roughly proportionate to their overall representation in the courses we looked at.</p>
<h2>How students cope</h2>
<p>Students who made changes after they failed talked about prioritising study habits and seeking help from family, friends and peers to reframe the experience into a learning one. </p>
<p>Only 40% made use of institutional support services and course advisers. Many indicated shame interfered with them looking for help. </p>
<p>One student said:</p>
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<p>I went [to a study support service] a couple of times but got embarrassed that I couldn’t follow through on the strategies suggested and never went back. </p>
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<p>We analysed the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">emotional language</a> students used and identified disappointment as the most common emotion expressed. This was followed by them being “stressed”, “depressed”, “devastated” and “embarrassed”. </p>
<p>Around 30% of students said they had made <a href="https://studentsuccessjournal.org/article/view/1403">no changes</a> to their study approaches, putting them at risk of failing again. </p>
<p>One student, who nominated needing to work long hours and health issues as the main factors that contributed to his failure, said he was:</p>
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<p>studying the same as the past, obviously I’m going through the same circumstances as before […] Can’t have a break, because cannot delay completion of the course for full time work. </p>
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<h2>What can universities do?</h2>
<p>Students in our study were often deeply distressed but, in many instances, received little sympathy from the university.</p>
<p>The obvious first step universities should make is to reach out to students at the point of failure – preferably through direct contact but at least by email and phone – with sensitivity and humanity. </p>
<p>Universities can offer positive suggestions, helping students to mobilise their own <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2017.1284193">resilience strategies</a> through gaining perspective, addressing health issues and seeking social and academic support. </p>
<p>It is possible to help individual students unpack the factors that impacted their performance and tailor interventions to help them improve their study habits, navigate the system, develop social networks and adapt their study pathways. This is particularly important for students who have failed repeatedly.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/better-academic-support-for-students-may-help-lower-university-attrition-rates-66395">Better academic support for students may help lower university attrition rates</a>
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<p>Universities can also help by de-stigmatising failure at an institutional level. This would normalise help-seeking and promote peer support options. Several <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/24/fashion/fear-of-failure.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad">US universities</a> are doing this by opening up discussion around what it means to fail, featuring accounts from successful alumni about their own experiences of failure and providing an app students can use to help manage their emotions.</p>
<p>Universities have a responsibility to help students who have failed. The way students make sense of, and recover from, their experiences will influence their likelihood of persisting, adapting and succeeding.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126195/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Between 23% and 52% of education, civil engineering, nursing and commerce students failed a unit of their degree. Those who failed a subject were four times more likely to drop out of their course.Rola Ajjawi, Associate Professor, Deakin UniversityMary Dracup, Lecturer, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1016422018-09-18T09:16:20Z2018-09-18T09:16:20ZUniversity students: how to manage the stress of studying for your degree<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236255/original/file-20180913-177965-n4g48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to the recently published <a href="https://personal.natwest.com/personal/life-moments/student-living-index.html">Natwest Student Living Index</a>, 64% of university students rated the stress of studying for their degree as seven or above out of ten. <a href="http://www.thenationalstudent.com/Student/2017-08-31/82_of_students_suffer_from_stress_and_anxiety.html">Other studies</a> have estimated that up to 82% of UK university students suffer from stress and anxiety, and the number of students dropping out of university due to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/23/number-university-dropouts-due-to-mental-health-problems-trebles">mental health problems is increasing</a>. </p>
<p>The National Union of Students reports that <a href="https://unihealth.uk.com/is-stress-at-university-always-bad/">the top three sources of stress among students</a> are coursework deadlines, exams, and balancing study with other commitments. Going to university can also mean living away from home for the first time, less sleep, poor eating habits and money worries.</p>
<p>It’s clear that the majority of university students experience high levels of stress during their degree. But a few simple stress reduction techniques and small lifestyle changes can help with this. So if you’re a student, or heading off to university for the first time, here’s what you need to know about managing stress.</p>
<h2>Talk or write about it</h2>
<p>A major source of stress for university students living away from home for the first time can be a lack of perceived social support, if friends and family are no longer close by for a chat. </p>
<p>The most important thing if you start to feel stressed is that you don’t bottle up those feelings. Talk about it – with a parent, other family member, friend or a tutor. Or contact your university’s student well-being service. </p>
<p>Another approach could be to write about your feelings if nobody is around to talk to. Studies have suggested that writing about your emotions can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-reduce-stress-and-anxiety-write-your-happy-thoughts-down-99349">useful for managing stress</a>.</p>
<h2>Stay organised</h2>
<p>A key source of stress is a perceived <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763411000224#fig0015">lack of control over a situation</a>. Coursework deadlines and exams are an inevitable part of life for a university student, but by managing your time wisely, and not leaving your assessment tasks and revision to the last minute you can stay in control of these deadlines. </p>
<p>Rebecca Sharp, a psychologist from the University of Bangor, <a href="https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-30/october-2017/psychologist-guide-university-life">suggests</a> that splitting a task into smaller, more easily manageable goals is a good way of organising your time and staying on top of university work. </p>
<p>Making time in your schedule to relax and socialise is also very important. Socialising may help you to build a network of people you can rely upon for social support. Creating some “me time” for socialising, relaxing and exercise <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/video/NHSChoices/ZVVWhRCm7z8">is key to managing stress</a>.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236257/original/file-20180913-177944-1umd8sz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Make time for fun and friends.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels</span></span>
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<h2>Look after yourself</h2>
<p>University students often have a <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/apm/2015/639239/">comparatively poor diet</a>. During those first few weeks of living away from home, it can take some time to adjust to having to <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/blogs/student-blog-five-steps-eating-well-university">plan and prepare your own meals</a>, and bad eating habits can creep in. </p>
<p>University students also report getting <a href="https://thetab.com/uk/2017/03/14/revealed-sleep-deprived-university-degrees-uk-35203">fewer hours of sleep</a> than the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/be-healthier/sleep-better">recommended eight hours a night</a>. This is problematic because irregular sleep patterns are associated with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03171-4">poor academic performance at university</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41816398">poor sleep quality is associated with increased stress</a>.</p>
<p>All of this means that it is important to look after yourself, by exercising regularly, establishing a pattern of good quality sleep and eating healthily. A balanced breakfast, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/stress-diet-can-foods-help">limited sugary and fatty snacks</a> can help to optimise your brain function. This will help to keep your stress levels in check, and also help with your concentration in lectures and when revising. </p>
<p>One issue though, is that when our stress levels increase, it is easy to engage in “<a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-00684-004">emotional eating</a>” – consuming more sugary and fatty snacks and less fruit and vegetables. It’s important to try to avoid this vicious cycle where possible, and maintain a healthy diet through these periods. </p>
<h2>Be mindful</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness/">Being mindful</a> – paying more attention to yourself and the world around you by being “in the moment” – is known to reduce stress, and helps us to notice the signs of stress earlier. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(17)30231-1/fulltext?elsca1=tlx">Research has shown</a> that mindfulness training can reduce levels of distress in university students during exam periods. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236261/original/file-20180913-177947-1n7e2cn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Make time for me time.</span>
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<p>Even if you haven’t had any formal training in mindfulness, it can be beneficial to practice mindfulness techniques by sitting quietly and paying attention to your body and your surroundings. Mindful breathing exercises can help with relaxation and reducing negative thoughts. Although not for everyone, activities such as yoga can also help with being mindful and being more aware of your breathing.</p>
<h2>Is stress all bad?</h2>
<p>It is important to remember that the feelings we experience when we’re stressed are due to hormone responses that have evolved to help us survive by <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response">fighting off or fleeing from a predator</a>. University life can be thought of as that predator – the stress response helps us to cope with and manage demanding periods such as exams and coursework deadlines. So a little stress is fine, and probably <a href="http://news.berkeley.edu/2013/04/16/researchers-find-out-why-some-stress-is-good-for-you/">even beneficial</a>, but if you’re experiencing frequent, high levels of stress, then do something about it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101642/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students, manage your stress with these top tips.Michael Smith, Associate Professor of Psychology, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/911812018-03-05T12:20:17Z2018-03-05T12:20:17ZAre too many graduates getting good degrees?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208063/original/file-20180227-36693-1dmp8ex.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=usPLYbcnPUaa5eNK60hjJQ-1-55">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than a quarter of UK graduates received a first-class degree, and nearly half received an upper second-class award in <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sfr247/figure-17">2016-2017</a>. This means 75% of graduates gained “good degrees” – up from 60% <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/chart-9">ten years ago</a>.</p>
<p>Repeated <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/News/education/education-university-grade-first-numbers-soar-grade-inflation-warning-a7849936.html">media outcry</a> and government condemnation over this upward drift, continues to fuel debates over the robustness of the current degree classification system and slipping academic standards – bringing with it the charge of grade inflation. </p>
<p>But evidence suggests students are getting higher grades for valid reasons – such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/17/a-level-results-show-first-rise-in-top-grades-in-six-years">improved outcomes</a> in primary, secondary and further education – meaning students are better prepared for higher education.</p>
<p>Steps taken by universities in recent years have also improved student performance. These include increased emphasise on <a href="https://theconversation.com/tef-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-university-rankings-79932">teaching excellence</a>, assessment and student <a href="https://www.researchresearch.com/news/article/?articleId=1372676">feedback</a>. As well as investments in <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/03522a1c-4a9b-11e6-8d68-72e9211e86ab">campus facilities</a>, such as 24-hour libraries, and improved student support services. </p>
<p>There are other developments that have also contributed to rising grades, such as changes to <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/HEFCE,2014/Content/Pubs/2015/201521/HEFCE2015_21.pdf">subject mix, course and student characteristics</a>. For example, more women now go to university, and women are 5% more likely to get good degrees.</p>
<p>Students may also be <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/01/12/cambridge-don-claims-rapid-grade-inflation-tuition-fees-students">motivated to work harder</a>, as they are <a href="https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2017/education-consumer-rights-maintaining-trust-web.pdf">paying consumers</a> and the graduate job market they will enter is <a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-tips-to-help-students-become-more-employable-62367">highly competitive</a>.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208246/original/file-20180228-36671-za4h4s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">HESA data.</span>
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<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/manc.12138/abstract">Academic studies</a> support the argument that grade increases are genuine. Here, rising grades are the result of what education economists call improved “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41274-016-0109-z">efficiency</a>” — where better outputs are achieved from inputs. But despite this, the government has asked the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-toby-young-outcry-means-for-the-new-university-regulator-89586">new Office for Students</a> to look at the significant rise in the number of good degrees awarded in the last few years. </p>
<h2>Universities like good grades</h2>
<p>While more top grades doesn’t necessarily mean degree classification inflation is happening, the increases in the number of good degrees cannot be entirely explained by the reasons above. </p>
<p>Critics argue that the “<a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Documents/2017/understanding-degree-algorithms.pdf">degree algorithms</a>” universities use to determine final degree classifications are inflating grades. Degree algorithms are the rules and procedures that convert all the grades a student has achieved during their studies into one final classification. </p>
<p>Over the last ten years <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/HEFCE,2014/Content/Pubs/Independentresearch/2015/Review,of,external,examining,arrangements/2015_externalexam.pdf">significant changes</a> have been made to degree algorithms by many universities, to achieve “competitor alignment”. This is where a university seeks to match the percentage of good degrees awarded by competitor institutions. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208065/original/file-20180227-36686-dwf3s1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Is the value of higher education is being eroded?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=usPLYbcnPUaa5eNK60hjJQ-3-80">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The proportion of good degrees a university awards is included in <a href="https://theconversation.com/students-beware-university-rankings-should-come-with-health-warnings-48353">league tables</a> – where a greater number of good degrees means a higher ranking. Universities therefore have a reason to award more of them. Widespread practices of tweaking the rules by changing the algorithm to gain league table advantages, has fuelled sector wide grade inflation. </p>
<p>This produces artificially high average grades, compressing all grades at the top of the classification scale. And there have also been reports that lecturers are under pressure from senior management to award <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2018/02/01/university-lecturers-warned-could-face-investigation-award-21s/">more high grades</a> when marking. </p>
<p>On top of this, <a href="https://theconversation.com/tick-box-surveys-arent-the-only-way-to-measure-student-satisfaction-28780">student satisfaction</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/may/03/annual-donations-to-uk-universities-passes-1bn-mark-for-first-time">alumni donations</a> are also now of much higher importance to universities. Students are more satisfied with higher grades than lower grades. And graduates with good degrees are happy alumni who are more likely to donate money later in life. </p>
<h2>Graduate employers</h2>
<p>So many graduates – all with the top grades – creates a challenge for graduate recruiters, who want to distinguish between differing academic abilities and skills. One solution is to supplement classifications with additional detail. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/resources/GPA-report-2013-14.pdf">Grade Point Average</a> and the <a href="http://www.hear.ac.uk/about">Higher Education Achievement Report</a> – which gives a detailed picture of a student’s extracurricular activities, prizes and voluntary work – providing a holistic view of students’ achievements. Both were recommended by the <a href="http://www.hear.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Burgess_final2007.pdf">2007 Burgess Report</a>, which said that “the UK honours degree classification system was no longer fit for purpose”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/208069/original/file-20180227-36680-wwu2ed.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Record number of university students graduated with first-class degrees.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=usPLYbcnPUaa5eNK60hjJQ-2-44">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of UK’s largest graduate employers like <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/07/ernst-and-young-removes-degree-classification-entry-criteria_n_7932590.html">Ernst & Young</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/18/penguins-random-house-scrapping-degree-requirements-jobs_n_9007288.html?1453113478">Penguin Random House Publishers</a>, no longer use degree classifications as entry criteria for their graduate schemes. Instead, they use their own assessment centres to filter applicants. Google also announced its move to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-hiring-non-graduates-2013-6?IR=T">debunk college transcripts</a> as a hiring metric in their recruitment processes. Such reactions from employers means universities need to do more to rebuild confidence in the value of a degree certificate. </p>
<h2>Government response</h2>
<p>It is easy then to understand why the robustness of the classification system has come under sustained criticism. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recognised-uk-degrees">UK honours degree</a> is a highly valued qualification and <a href="https://theconversation.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-fake-degrees-and-the-universities-awarding-them-71132">recognised brand</a>, inseparable from higher education which is an important sector of the economy. </p>
<p>The government has warned against “gaming behaviour” and that long-term inflation trends will undermine the credibility of UK degrees. This also makes it difficult to differentiate genuine grade improvements from artificial grade inflation. But it is unlikely that universities, left to their own devices, will address grade inflation. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/jo-johnson-speech-to-uuk-annual-conference">former universities minister</a> challenged universities to ensure degree outcomes genuinely reflect improvements in student attainment, calling for a wholesale sector wide reform. A <a href="http://www.qaa.ac.uk/newsroom/new-project-to-look-at-grade-inflation#.Wo1i1a5l-po">project</a> has since been launched to look into the issue. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/office-for-students-regulatory-framework-for-higher-education">new regulatory framework</a> for higher education empowers the <a href="https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/">Office for Students to take action</a> against universities failing to comply with sector agreed standards. The government has also added an analysis of degree trends to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2017.1410106">Teaching Excellence Framework</a> (TEF). </p>
<p>So while the government wants to intervene and mitigate against the risks of grade inflation at universities, it is clear that the myriad of complex reasons behind rising grades will make this a very challenging task.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91181/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Gunn has received funding from Worldwide Universities Network, the British Council (administering the Newton Fund), the UK Higher Education Academy, Kantar Public, UEFISCDI Romania, the UK Political Studies Association, the New Zealand Political Studies Association and the UK Quality Assurance Agency. Andrew Gunn concurrently holds visiting academic positions internationally.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Priya Kapade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Government wants to crackdown on the high number of students being awarded first class or 2.1 degrees by universities.Andrew Gunn, Researcher in Higher Education Policy, University of LeedsPriya Kapade, Postgraduate Researcher in Higher Education, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/597142016-05-23T09:39:42Z2016-05-23T09:39:42ZShould it be easier for students to switch university mid degree?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123355/original/image-20160520-27853-17yd3nx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lightspring/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-competitive-landscape-for-higher-education-confirmed-in-white-paper-59494">raft of reforms</a> to the way universities in England are run, the government is looking at whether it should be easier for students to switch between courses at different universities. Alongside <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523396/bis-16-265-success-as-a-knowledge-economy.pdf">a white paper</a> on higher education, and the publication of a new Higher Education and Research Bill, it has launched <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/accelerated-courses-and-switching-university-or-degree-call-for-evidence">a consultation</a> on demand for accelerated degree courses – shorter than the average three years – and whether students want the flexibility to change where they study. </p>
<p>This idea is not new. <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13596749900200053">In 1993, the Flowers Report</a> saw an attempt to introduce into UK higher education a longer undergraduate year, flexibility and accelerated degrees. Some institutions did <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/summer-semester-trials/99633.article">develop two-year degrees</a> but most of them faded away. Buckingham University is currently the only UK university with a wide range of two-year degrees, though others still offer a few of them. </p>
<p>In 2006, the Higher Education Funding Council for England <a href="https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/pathfinder_2011_aw_2_281111_1614.pdf">initiated a pilot study</a> on flexible learning. This too faded away. </p>
<p>Accelerated degrees tend to appeal to mature, part-time students, an important group but not the young, full-time students that the new white paper is thinking of, who may struggle with intensive learning without breaks for paid work and recreation. </p>
<p>The principles of credit-transfer, however, are firmly embedded in the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/higher-education/bologna-process_en.htm">Bologna process</a> of harmonisation of Europe’s higher education systems through the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/education/ects/ects_en.htm">European Credit Transfer and Accumulation system</a>. Yet, credit-transfer across countries <a href="http://www.ehea.info/Uploads/SubmitedFiles/5_2015/132824.pdf">has not happened</a> to the degree that the original Bologna signatories envisaged. The US higher education system also has a credit-transfer system in place, though it doesn’t mean you can easily move from a community college to Harvard or Princeton and its accelerated programmes are mainly aimed at adult learners.</p>
<p>The language the white paper uses about public universities – described as “incumbents” as though they are unwanted lodgers – suggests that it is mostly “new providers” and probably for-profit institutions that would be expected to innovate by providing more flexible patterns of study. </p>
<p>The late higher education scholar David Watson <a href="http://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Only-Connect-WEB-clean.pdf">argued</a> that flexibility did not happen in the established universities because of “protectionism” – a term more redolent of the manufacturing industry than higher education. Yet, at masters level, credit-transfer has been successful in the UK for some time, for example in departments such as education. </p>
<p>Credit-transfer between universities also works well in part-time undergraduate study. But full-time degrees offer more challenges in relation to flexibility, especially in a system where many undergraduate students move away from home. It also affects data on how they progress from first to second year and so on. The white paper suggests that unlike now, students who change institutions won’t be categorised as not completing. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/123357/original/image-20160520-4475-pmcc1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Switch it up?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/134017849@N04/19515799760/sizes/l">QMULsed/flickr.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Ways to introduce flexibility</h2>
<p>There are a few ways it could be possible to create more flexibility in the way students move between institutions. </p>
<p>One, would be to make moving from full-time to part-time study and from face-to-face to distance learning and back, simpler everywhere. This is common in some other countries, such as Australia. </p>
<p>An <a href="http://wonkhe.com/blogs/credit-worthy/">article</a> by analyst Ant Bagshaw on the website WonkHE, suggests a second UCAS transfer-round for first-year undergraduates so that they could go elsewhere at that point. But this could be very destabilising for students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds because socially and culturally they will have to start all over again with peers who have already been in their next university for a year. Bagshaw also suggests an alternative “pick and mix” system where students could choose modules from anywhere but one university would validate their end degree. Coherence and lack of overlap would be issues in such a system. </p>
<p>It might also be possible to introduce more collaborative programmes between universities, but the landscape for this is not encouraging, given a renewed emphasis on competition between universities. Alternatively, study based on free <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/massive-open-online-courses">massive open online courses</a> could lead to flexible accredited study, perhaps through a body such as <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/">FutureLearn</a>. An overall validating institution would still be needed.</p>
<h2>What this might mean for universities</h2>
<p>Introducing more flexibility into full-time undergraduate study would undoubtedly be destabilising for universities if lots of undergraduates started moving around the system mid-degree. Changing your university isn’t the same as changing your bank and far from “driving up” standards it may actually drive them down. </p>
<p>Teaching jobs could become even less secure if student numbers declined in existing institutions. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills clearly sees academics as lazy people with long summer vacations (forgetting research and postgraduate supervision) who should just teach undergraduates all year round. </p>
<p>The government’s attitude to existing public universities in the white paper is extraordinary: they are positioned as spoilt children. Yet, it is those same universities who are responsible for the UK’s strong global reputation and high international research rankings. Something that starts off as a reasonable proposition – let’s make all degree studies more flexible – could end up as a way of weakening and undermining the whole system.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59714/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rosemary Deem does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Government plans to introduce more flexibility could be destabilising for universities.Rosemary Deem, Vice Principal (Education) and Dean of Doctoral School, Royal Holloway University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/569122016-04-12T20:10:50Z2016-04-12T20:10:50ZIdeas for Australia: Degrees are more necessary than ever before, but the rewards aren’t as great<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117236/original/image-20160404-18631-p34hdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is it fair to say universities are letting employers down?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The Conversation has asked 20 academics to examine the big ideas facing Australia for the 2016 federal election and beyond. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ideas-for-australia">20-piece series</a> will examine, among others, the state of democracy, health, education, environment, equality, freedom of speech, federation and economic reform.</em> </p>
<hr>
<p>Having a degree has become a basic prerequisite for most careers. Those without a degree are <a href="http://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/162_graduate_winners_report.pdf">more likely to be disadvantaged</a> in career and economic terms.</p>
<p>You could think of this as somewhat like mobile phone ownership. Twenty years ago, those of us without a mobile phone got by just fine – having one was a status symbol. Now, even though the phones are much, much better, having one is nothing special. And those without one will really struggle.</p>
<p>Yet widespread participation in higher education has implications for individuals. On the one hand, the more people who have a degree, the more this becomes a basic expectation for employers. On the other hand, the more having a degree becomes a basic expectation, the less “special” it is and the lower the premium, in terms of pay, that can be gained. </p>
<p>We can see this clearly in shifts in graduate starting salaries. Since the mid-1970s, median annual starting salaries for bachelor degree graduates <a href="http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Graduate%20Salaries%202012%20%5Bsecured%5D.pdf">have deteriorated steadily</a>.</p>
<p>In 1977, when a minority of people completed high school, let alone went to university, graduates of engineering, education, computer science, social work, veterinary science and agricultural science all had starting salaries above male average weekly earnings (MAWE) – the long-term benchmark for salary levels in Australia.</p>
<p>In 2011, only graduates of dentistry, optometry and earth sciences had salaries above MAWE. Even medicine, perhaps the most sought-after degree, has taken a tumble, from a starting salary of 138.5% of MAWE in 1977 to 91.4% in 2011.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-goes-to-university-the-changing-profile-of-our-students-40373">diminution in monetary value</a> of having a degree corresponds to steep rises in participation in higher education over the same period. </p>
<p>Three decades ago, only around 40% of young people completed high school (46% in 1985, for example). Today, around the same proportion complete a university degree. </p>
<p>The illustration below shows the remarkable increase in participation in higher education, especially by young people, over the three decades to 2010.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/117939/original/image-20160408-23642-1vguewy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Higher Education Students by Broad Age Group, 1980-2010.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Education Selected Statistics</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Degrees more necessary, less rewarded</h2>
<p>What all this shows is that we are experiencing credential creep. The level of educational credential needed to stand out from the crowd has risen steeply. This is compellingly demonstrated by the steep increases in participation in the highest degree levels. </p>
<p>Australian universities <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/selected-higher-education-statistics-2013-student-data">graduated</a> nearly 8,000 doctorates (PhDs and professional doctoral degrees) in 2013, more than double the number graduating in 1999. </p>
<p>Of course, higher education is about much more than the piece of paper received at the end. </p>
<p>Remarkably, in the face of such steep increases in participation, graduates’ satisfaction with their experience at university is extremely high. It has remained high over the past decade, at <a href="http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/GCA_GradStats_2015_FINAL.pdf">well over 90%</a>. Similarly, more than half of Australia’s universities rank in the prestigious <a href="https://theconversation.com/rankings-prestige-student-experience-how-to-choose-a-good-university-45597">Academic Ranking of World Universities top 500</a>.</p>
<p>Data such as this flies in the face of anecdotal concerns about a decline in the quality of higher education in Australia. </p>
<h2>The changing profile of university graduates</h2>
<p>Universities today enrol an exceptionally diverse community of students, of varying social, academic and cultural backgrounds. That this has been achieved without plummeting satisfaction levels or widespread loss of institutional standings – despite static or declining public funding – is remarkable.</p>
<p>But these increases in participation and diversity create social tensions. </p>
<p>Australian tertiary education is now characterised by a lack of clear purpose. This stems from policymakers’ failure to conceptualise the tertiary education landscape and the role of the institutions that comprise it, as well as the lack of any instrumental view of objectives based on need.</p>
<p>It has become unclear what differentiates the vocational, education and training (VET) sector from the university sector and, in turn, from private tertiary education providers. Enabling, bachelor and sometimes postgraduate-level education is available from all three kinds of institution. </p>
<p>Despite this, funding and <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-the-federal-government-take-over-vocational-training-46986">regulation of VET</a> and higher education are undertaken by state and federal governments respectively. The regulation of private, international and postgraduate coursework education has been developed ad hoc rather than planned. </p>
<p>The result is a series of policy and legislative artefacts formed on the hop, rather than a coherent and systematised sector serving clear societal needs. </p>
<h2>Degrees not regarded in the same way</h2>
<p>Having a degree is no longer a quality status signal in itself. What counts now is what institution? What course? What extra-curricular activities? </p>
<p>The more ubiquitous holding a degree becomes, the more we will see status signals and classing structures strengthening their place within the higher education system, with a more nuanced differentiation of the credential as capital. </p>
<p>This raises important questions about social equity. </p>
<p>Today, young people are <a href="https://theconversation.com/year-12-results-day-does-the-atar-actually-matter-that-much-48890">pressured to go to university</a> even if they may not be particularly interested in scholarly pursuits.</p>
<p>Many end up in institutions or courses that are unsuited to them, despite their ability, for selection measures remain tightly correlated with social class. </p>
<p>Large employers (banks and the like) no longer focus their recruitment on school leavers and train them up. Now they recruit university graduates and complain that they do not have the <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/is-it-time-to-turn-your-back-on-university/news-story/d027a70b034a7b3d8036bde535a5cce4">required skills</a>. Similarly, students forgo earning while they are learning, and the sunk costs of gaining a qualification are high.</p>
<p>Pressing inequalities in early education and <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-gonski-gone-we-can-expect-more-demand-for-private-schools-52760">schooling</a> that lead to inevitable inequalities at the tertiary level; credential creep that is pushing all the way to the PhD; increasing stratification in the status of institutions, disciplines and modes of study – these are the contemporary frontiers for equity in Australian tertiary education. </p>
<p>We need a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australia-needs-a-new-model-for-universities-43696">new conceptualisation</a> of the purpose of tertiary and higher education, of training, of skills. And it needs to be supported by policy and funding mechanisms that recognise new realities rather than perpetuating old stereotypes.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>You can read other articles in the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ideas-for-australia">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>These ideas are explored at greater length in my chapter in <a href="http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811003134#aboutBook">Student Equity in Australian Higher Education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56912/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emmaline Bexley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young people are pressured into university and many end up in unsuitable courses. We need to recognise these realities and be clear about the purpose of higher education so it doesn’t lose its value.Emmaline Bexley, Senior Lecturer in Higher Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/468992015-09-04T04:44:11Z2015-09-04T04:44:11ZMentoring the next generation of scientists in Africa<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93663/original/image-20150902-14045-k2wr7a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Role models and mentors can help one learn throughout one's career. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">SHUTTERSTOCK</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mentoring the next generation of scientists in Africa should start from primary school, continue at university and extend into the workplace.</p>
<p>We must encourage the majority of female African students to choose a career in science so that they contribute to the economic and social development of the continent.</p>
<p>Considering that Africa is still a developing continent, there is ample opportunity for careers in science that can contribute to science advancement as well as the continent’s socio-economic development.</p>
<p>Mentoring and <a href="http://www.stemrolemodels.org/">role</a> modelling should not be seen as two independent roles even though there are different forms of mentorship. Certainly, the type of mentorship and support one needs differs depending on the stage of one’s career. </p>
<h2>Encourage careers in science</h2>
<p>At school, subject choices matter. It is important to ensure that young girls are informed and encouraged to take up science and mathematics, subjects which open the world to careers in science. </p>
<p>One must consider careers in space science, astronomy, health sciences as well as skills in dealing with big data. A number of organisations, including the South African <a href="http://www.sawise.org.za/">Women</a> in Science and Engineering, support and encourage the women to participate in science and engineering.</p>
<p>The Organisation for <a href="http://www.assaf.co.za/about-the-south-african-owsd-national-chapter/">Women</a> in Science for the Developing World also promotes the participation of girls and women in science and technology in Africa. </p>
<p>As a parent I advise my teenage daughter and her friends to avoid choosing subjects, like maths literacy, just because they can get higher marks in them. We have arguments about what subjects help towards a successful future in science. One of the questions is usually around which career offers the best pay.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93657/original/image-20150902-14056-15gq2bq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teach them young - the message of science should be sustained from primary school to tertiary studies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SHUTTERSTOCK</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>From the first degree to postgraduate level, mentoring plays a significant role in ensuring that women graduates stay on a chosen career path.</p>
<p>For example, the Women in Science and Engineering mentorship programme - a global campaign - targets young women at undergraduate degree level and prepares them for careers in science. One of the programme’s aims is providing leadership and role models to young women who want to pursue a career in science and engineering.</p>
<p>There are a number of programmes which offer well structured mentorship programmes for postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows and emerging researchers and a number of universities have different forms of mentorship programmes, which include skills training. </p>
<h2>Building networks</h2>
<p>Emerging researchers should join a research group that they feel they can contribute to and benefit from. Most research programmes involve working in multidisciplinary teams, which requires one to learn communication, networking and inter-cultural skills.</p>
<p>Networks can play a significant role. Through social platforms one can remain in contact with some of the top scientists and researchers across the world. Sometimes these networks can even become useful when applying for grants. Here again it is important to look out for academic exchange programmes or fellowships which can enable one to work with excellent teams at many institutions. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/93666/original/image-20150902-14087-oztaa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Remain networked for a fulfilling career.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SHUTTERSTOCK</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Creating enabling environments</h2>
<p>Looking back, my supervisor and mentor as I recall, never had to complete mentorship tracking and performance forms as we have to now but he gave me various tasks and opportunities to develop as a scientist.</p>
<p>These included invitations to co-author articles, handling administrative duties as corresponding author, preparing conference presentations, applying for grants, organising workshops and conferences, and opportunities for national and international travel. </p>
<p>Of course, I did not know that all of this would count but it helped me gain confidence early in my career. I still draw on these experiences in dealing with my students, colleagues and those that I mentor. Institutions must provide networking opportunities for researchers. </p>
<p>As a research director at a South African university, I spend about 60% of my time mentoring. Creating enabling research environments both at organisational policy level and leadership level is critical in order to achieve one’s goals. </p>
<p>Typical policies that contribute to how supervisors or mentors behave towards those their mentor or supervise include how performance in research groups is measured. </p>
<p>The methods used by bureaucrats running institutions has been labelled “bean counting” which has reduced the autonomy of academics. Academic Amanda <a href="http://www.amandagoodall.com/GoodallFeat_1%20March%202012.pdf">Goodall</a>, for instance, argues that allowing universities to be run by “bean counters and bureaucrats” is detrimental to academics’ originality and productivity. Hence it is essential to ensure that organisational policies are enabling.</p>
<p>Issues around authorship in research groups can become quite sensitive if not negotiated well in advance. My advice to students, postdoctoral fellows and junior researchers is that they must agree in advance on what their contribution will be and the order of the authorship. </p>
<p>In big groups the project leader has to manage this as part of the mentorship process. This way group members will not see themselves as “pawns” being used to advance one’s career, devaluing each member’s contribution.</p>
<h2>Balancing a career and family needs</h2>
<p>When I was a full-time academic (before joining management) I loved the flexibility my role as a mathematician gave me. I worked long hours but made up for those long hours during university breaks. I planned conference trips around school holidays so that there was less stress on work colleagues and my family.</p>
<p>My family helped in taking care of my children when they were young. My husband has always been supportive. Of course, I have struggled emotionally and sometimes had to make difficult choices. </p>
<p>But I have been exposed to a vast network of colleagues globally who continue keeping my research candle burning. I still find great fulfilment contributing to knowledge in my subject area and supporting younger faculty members to achieve their goals. </p>
<p>The issue of balancing a career and family needs came under the microscope at an East African Research and Innovation Management Association 2015 <a href="http://events.mak.ac.ug/events/earima-2015-conference-uganda">conference</a> in Uganda. Delegates agreed that organisations must have flexible gender sensitive policies, including promotion criteria that takes into account gender issues without compromising on quality. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>This article is part of a series on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation in Africa by the South African National <a href="http://owsdsa.co.za/">Chapter</a> of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46899/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sibusiso Moyo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Africa is a developing continent but there’s ample opportunity for careers in science that can contribute to science advancement as well as uplifting the socio-economic status of the continent.Sibusiso Moyo, Director: Research and Postgraduate Support, Durban University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.