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Student sues Anglia Ruskin over "Mickey Mouse" degree

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It's not a Mickey Mouse degree, she's just a Mickey Mouse person.
Original post by Tiger Rag
I don't get her issue. Surely, you as a student, should do your research before applying? And how is it the university's problem if your degree doesn't get you anywhere?

Sometimes you can do as much research as you like and all roads will lead to what they ‘claim’ on their website...
Reply 22
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Original post by Napp
The same ones who chase ambulances and invade funerals


Except if it's no-win no-fee surely they know they are unlikely to win in this case. Does seem odd...
Reply 23
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Original post by Doonesbury
Except if it's no-win no-fee surely they know they are unlikely to win in this case. Does seem odd...


Oh I just meant the morally vacuous aha
Original post by Doonesbury
Except if it's no-win no-fee surely they know they are unlikely to win in this case. Does seem odd...


Do we even know that she has lawyers? It's perfectly possible to launch a civil action in county court without one, although I suppose for this kind of money and against a large institution with lots of legal advisers on tap, perhaps unwise.
Reply 25
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Original post by Napp
Oh I just meant the morally vacuous aha


@Notoriety is it possible to check court records to see who the law firm is?
Original post by Tiger Rag
I don't get her issue. Surely, you as a student, should do your research before applying? And how is it the university's problem if your degree doesn't get you anywhere?


I guess that's the whole point of her litigation - she is claiming they made false statements that it would get her somewhere.
From the Sun.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5781021/anglia-ruskin-university-sued-degree-international-business-strategy-pok-wong/

Reply 28
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Original post by Fullofsurprises
Do we even know that she has lawyers? It's perfectly possible to launch a civil action in county court without one, although I suppose for this kind of money and against a large institution with lots of legal advisers on tap, perhaps unwise.


Original post by Fullofsurprises
I guess that's the whole point of her litigation - she is claiming they made false statements that it would get her somewhere.


And according to the press she's already lost a case and had to pay ARUs costs. Perhaps she, or her parents, have deep pockets and a small brain.

A spokesperson for the university said: 'Her complaints have been through the full Office of the Independent Adjudicator [the body that deals with student complaints] process.'She then made a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office, which was rejected after a thorough investigation. Subsequently she has launched legal action against us and has been required to pay our costs at an earlier hearing.
Although I note the ARU Business School is named the Lord Ashcroft International Business School so I'm sure it's entirely above board :beard:
Original post by TheMindGarage
What a ridiculous lawsuit. If you make a bad purchase decision, that's your fault. Unless the university's course was flawed or mis-sold (e.g. they advertised it as accredited in some way and it turned out not to be), I don't see why she deserves anything. A degree is not a free pass to a good job.

Also, how can someone sue for the full value of the fees? If they aren't earning much, they won't be paying much...


Legally speaking, if someone makes false claims that persuade you to buy something, you have a case for return of goods or compensation, if those claims are serious and also you have a case if a supplied service is nowhere near as claimed or clearly not good enough. So it might not be 'ridiculous', although I don't doubt it will be hard work.

I predicted a while back on TSR that there would be more and more of these cases - students are paying too much now to mentally brush off sub-standard courses as just part of the game of university life.
Original post by Doonesbury

Although I note the ARU Business School is named the Lord Ashcroft International Business School so I'm sure it's entirely above board :beard:


OMG. It just reeks of credibility. Do they hold the classes in Belize? :eek4:
Original post by Napp
The same ones who chase ambulances and invade funerals


They're no true lawyers.
Original post by Notoriety
Tsk tsk, don't dismantle Wired's world-view with hard evidence before we even have the opportunity to hear about the bigly 8.


You should learn to debate a topic then move on from that. Don't get too bugged down in the detail. It will save you loads of stress.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Legally speaking, if someone makes false claims that persuade you to buy something, you have a case for return of goods or compensation, if those claims are serious and also you have a case if a supplied service is nowhere near as claimed or clearly not good enough. So it might not be 'ridiculous', although I don't doubt it will be hard work.

I predicted a while back on TSR that there would be more and more of these cases - students are paying too much now to mentally brush off sub-standard courses as just part of the game of university life.


CMA guidance for universities came out in March 2015. I imagine the case of anyone who started a degree in 2016 or later (ie after the guidance was in place for marketing materials to be produced) would be much stronger if they can prove that guidance wasn’t followed (and it still isn’t followed across most of the sector).
Original post by Doonesbury
I doubt Goldman have enough vacancies to employ every graduate, or that every graduate wants to work there.

That said, there are (at least) 5 ARU alumni currently at GS.


That is fair, but are the 5 ARU alumni at Goldman recent grads or in the last 10 years? I was just using Goldman as an example.

I acknowledge your point, but I think more needs to be done. Even those who don't want the IB/Consulting roles, how are their employment prospects? Have they gone to relevant destinations or gone on to do odd jobs.
I don't know how I feel about this.

On one hand, I don't think students should be able to sue the university they attended if their career is not progressing the way they thought it would, or should.

But on the other hand, if universities are advertising something (in this case regarding teaching and future job preparation), and it turns out to not be correct, is that false advertising?

If this is successful, could it pave the way for others to also sue their alma mater? Could we see universities from the top to the bottom being sued?
Original post by PQ
CMA guidance for universities came out in March 2015. I imagine the case of anyone who started a degree in 2016 or later (ie after the guidance was in place for marketing materials to be produced) would be much stronger if they can prove that guidance wasn’t followed (and it still isn’t followed across most of the sector).


It's interesting to look at the claims made against the courses in this subject area on the ARU site right now:
https://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/course-search?keywords=International+Business+Management+&levelofstudy=&location=&levelofstudy=&modeofstudy=&faculty=&availability=

For example: "Boost your career prospects in a variety of industries in just one year." I hope they have some actual stats to back that claim up.
Should have done a Law degree.
It's just an extension of an emerging cultural 'thing'. Chinese/Hong Kong Chinese etc -students from a culture with a strong sense of 'face' who put a strong cultural value on education and in particular a western education seem to find it particularly difficult to deal with life when it doesn't work out as they hoped. FOI any university for students who are taking their degree grade/result through the appeals process and there will be a very strong bias to Chinese students making complaints. If they pitch correctly to their parents, then there is plenty of money to pursue cases blind to any actual fact behind the case.

That's not to suggest there aren't courses where the actual value of the degree is not going to be returned financially by improvements in career prospects, but that was always going to be the case with the expansion of universities and degrees.

This is just a student taking it further and not understanding that converting education into employment is very largely a matter of personal characteristics, not certificates.
Reply 39
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Original post by Wired_1800

I acknowledge your point, but I think more needs to be done. Even those who don't want the IB/Consulting roles, how are their employment prospects? Have they gone to relevant destinations or gone on to do odd jobs.


I quoted Unistats above.

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