Responding to the recent press release from the OfS on grade
inflation, Professor Steve West CBE, President of Universities UK
and Vice-Chancellor of UWE Bristol, said:
“Universities remain committed to addressing grade inflation. Our
recent publication outlines
steps that universities have taken – including reviewing the
degree classification system and the way final grades are
calculated – and explains the impact the pandemic had on
the progress made, since many universities needed to change their
assessment policies.
“Universities are also working to ensure they deliver the highest
quality courses that deliver the best outcomes for students and
combined with the continued hard work of students, this is likely
to partly explain these trends.
“The Office for Students has rightly designed a regulatory system
based on the principle that the grades a student enters
university with should not limit expectations of what they can
achieve, and this logic must also apply to degree classification.
“Universities have been asked to ensure students from
disadvantaged backgrounds have the support they need to succeed
at university. We believe the OfS must be careful not to assume
that students with lower entry grades, typically from more
disadvantaged backgrounds, cannot achieve first class degrees.”
