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As elected members of the academic board of Thames Valley University, representing academic staff, we would like to point out that if the views of teaching staff had been listened to earlier, the problems identified in the Quality Assurance Agency report might never have arisen (THES, November 13 and 20).

In the management of TVU the views of the academic staff on issues such as teaching methods, academic organisation, recruitment strategy and regulations were frequently ignored. Please let us assure anxious students and their relatives, employers and other academics who will feel we have let down the whole of the university sector, that the commitment to teaching, and to maintaining academic standards has not been abandoned despite the many problems identified in the QAA report.

Many people have received degrees and other qualifications from the colleges that were merged to form TVU in 1992.

Former students will confirm the quality of the education received and the dedication of the academic and other staff at TVU, and the otherwise damning report from the QAA comments that they believe most of the academic staff to be "professional, dedicated and competent".

Malcolm Davies,

Paul Cormack, Alan Fortune Thames Valley University