Buying in and Selling out‐‐quality issues in international student contracting arrangements

Abstract

The international education industry continues to present a number of challenges to practitioner professionals over the years. After the imposition of full‐cost fees in 1978, UK universities experienced a dramatic downturn in enrolments from overseas. Following an aggressive marketing campaign, there was an equally dramatic upturn in universities' fortunes. However, this was accompanied by concerns about threats to standards and quality of entrants to degree courses.

In the 1990s, fears have been expressed about the quality of UK higher education in its collaborative arrangements offshore. This article illustrates the fact that not all universities' international collaborative arrangements are located overseas. There are many and different kinds of arrangements that have grown up over the years, posing potential threats to quality, which have not been addressed in the literature.

From 1991 to 1994, a study was conducted of a university course devised designed and delivered with a private partner customised for a group of international students. At the end of the project, it was evaluated as commercially successful, educationally and professionally hazardous. Aspects of international partnerships requiring constant vigilance on the part of universities were identified as (1) culturally determined operational practices, (2) partner eligibility, (3) commercial and educational conflict, (4) roles, responsibilities and accountability, (5) quality of promotional information, and (6) university autonomy.