AS the University of Bolton appeared to have some of the highest dropout rates in the country, its vice chancellor George Holmes has hit back and says the league tables do not show an accurate picture.

THE University of Bolton is delighted to appear in the top half of the recent Complete University Guide league table of British universities for Student Satisfaction.

This is a significant achievement and shows how positive our students are about the university.

Notwithstanding our success in this domain we have grave doubts about the concept of league tables.

The primary problem with the university league tables is that there is a severe lack of contextualisation.

We are given basic, raw data, which does not necessarily make for a good indicator of the standard of education at each university.

It does not take into consideration the journey and transformation that each student makes, from when they first enter the university, up until they graduate.

The league table pays little attention to the admissions experience prior to them joining university and ignores factors such as funding received, the courses that are offered and the backgrounds of the students who attend.

Drop out rates at the university among the highest in the country

Beth Foley, in her report ‘Measuring Success’ which examines the reliability of educational league tables, suggests the league tables are problematic because of “the diversity within the sector, both through the lack of standardised qualifications and the variety of different ‘missions’ which academic institutions now define for themselves. In addition, particularly for international comparisons, there is no common baseline measure of prior achievement that would allow value-added comparisons”.

The University of Bolton ranks in the top half of the most recent university league tables for the most important aspect, Student Satisfaction.

It’s a pity that the newspaper tables continue to give such weight to the entry qualifications of undergraduates.

At Bolton we have a policy of encouraging people to participate in the life changing benefits of higher education; we are keen to work with students from all backgrounds and abilities.

The preoccupation by elite universities with admitting only the most academically gifted students provides a misleading impression of the worth of those universities.

It would be far preferable for tables to measure the value added by a university by its teaching of students during the time they are with the organisation.

At the University of Bolton we add real value to our students’ skills and abilities, and we are recognised for that by our students.

Many students at Bolton are mature and have the benefit of a flexible programme of study and choose to intermit, take up job offers or even re-locate for other family reasons.

These students are not drop-outs as categorised by the crude data within the league tables. Universities with student cohorts which are far simpler, with single person study focussed campus based lifestyles fair better with the raw data presented for non-completion of courses.

At Bolton we have large numbers of very successful students who are supported through their disabilities and particular individual needs, in some cases the world of first job graduate destination statistics discriminates against their success. This reflects poorly in the first job data, but often masks highly resilient individuals who ultimately have the skills employers clamour for.

It is not surprising that the academically elite who are admitted to the most selective universities gain the highest number of first class degree grades on graduation, a factor which plays an important role in league table position. This factor says little about the value added by the teachers at the university and more about the entry velocity of the student themselves; it would be surprising if such students did not succeed.

At the University of Bolton, we are proud of the positive impact we make on our students’ lives and will continue to make sure our students reach their absolute potential.

As Aristotle said: “Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them.”