The ¡°systemic failure¡± of a university¡¯s partnership with a private college meant that 40 master¡¯s students did not take their course, the sector¡¯s quality watchdog has found.

The Quality Assurance Agency has published a ¡°concerns¡± report into the partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and London-based Williams College. The investigation focused mainly on a university-franchised MBA, one of 13 franchise programmes included in the partnership.

Gloucestershire¡¯s franchise model meant the partner was responsible for ¡°teaching, setting and marking assessed work, subject only to university approval and moderation - normally by sample - undertaken by the university and its external examiners¡±, the QAA says.

But the college ¡°frequently ignored university protocols and procedures¡±, while Gloucestershire ¡°failed to undertake formal monitoring on a consistent basis¡±.

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The QAA report says: ¡°Together, this constitutes a systemic failure of the Williams College ±è²¹°ù³Ù²Ô±ð°ù²õ³ó¾±±è.¡±

The report refers to a cohort of MBA students due to start in June 2011 who became ¡°the unwitting victims of a prolonged inter-institutional dispute¡± between Gloucestershire and Williams College.

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In August 2011 the university refused admission to the cohort even though they had already begun studying. It then took eight months of ¡°intermittent discussion¡± before an agreement permitted them to formally begin the course ¡°provided that they fulfilled entry requirements and retook all their MBA work¡±.

Only two students of the original cohort of 42 accepted the offer, the report says.

Gloucestershire said it has ¡°implemented a new team structure and leadership to ensure that the expected standards are consistently achieved in all our collaborative partnerships¡±.

The university has also given Williams College notice of its intention to terminate its contract with the for-profit institution.

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It is not the first of Gloucestershire¡¯s private validation partnerships to have presented problems. The university agreed an out-of-court settlement with Guildhall College in December after legal action followed the termination of its contract with the institution in March 2012.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.