Graduate sues uni for better degree

Glen Dickson, 23, has instructed lawyers to help him fight to get his 2:2 degree upgraded to the 2:1 he believes he deserves – and has vowed to take his battle to court if need be.

The former architectural technology student says the lower classification has left him unable to get a job, and insisted mitigating circumstances including a car crash and serious health problems in his final year should have been taken into account in deciding his final mark.

Mr Dickson said he was awarded a 59.41 per cent score for his degree – putting him just 0.09 per cent below the score for an automatic 2:1.

The disgruntled graduate pointed out that discretionary 2:1s were awarded to students with marks between 58 and 59.4, meaning his grade was essentially in a "purgatory" area without any clarification.

He also believes that a "disastrous" module – which around a third of the 60-strong class failed, resulting in several complaints – had pushed his final degree mark six per cent lower than it would have been.

The university acknowledged Mr Dickson's complaint about the module, but said he should have registered his grievance while he was still a student, as the rules dictated.

The graduate is under the guidance of law firm Beveridge and Kellas, and is in the process of applying for civil legal aid to get his classification changed.

He said: "I'm really disappointed, I worked really hard throughout my whole degree and I had a 67.9 per cent average at the start of the year. Then this nightmare module made me drop by six per cent. My average after all my exams was 60.26 per cent, but a weighting is applied to the final exams, so it ended up at 59.41 per cent.

"In the university rules it says that people who score between 58 and 59.4 per cent should be considered for a 2:1. It says people with 59.5 per cent or over are automatically a 2.1. But in between those scores, there isn't any guidance. I'm not aware of anyone who has scored like this before, but it's left me in a sort of purgatory. All I'd like is my 2.1 score."

He added: "So far I've made informal and formal complaints to the university, but I want to take this as far as it will go."

A spokeswoman for the Independent Students' Association Scotland's Napier branch showed support for Mr Dickson. In a letter to his subject department, she said: "I am of the view that were Glen to take his appeal/complaint externally they would be upheld and referred back to Edinburgh Napier with a requirement that due process is applied."

An Edinburgh Napier spokeswoman said: "We have been liaising with Glen but will not comment publicly on personal cases like this. We have rigorous procedures to ensure the correct degree classification is awarded. Where cases are borderline, we examine the student's best marks from final-year modules to establish what degree they should receive.

"For complaints to be formally investigated they should be raised whilst a student is still matriculated with us. If the complainant is no longer a student we advise them of other ways that they can raise issues such as through the Ombudsman."