University ‘breaks its own rules’ in supervision of some PhD students

Martin Shipton

The University of South Wales is breaking its own rules in relation to some PhD students by not ensuring they are supervised by academics with appropriate qualifications, it has been alleged.

The university vehemently denies the allegations, which have been put to Nation.Cymru by a whistleblower.

In a written submission, the whistleblower said: “To be a doctor of philosophy – a PhD – is the highest achievement in academia. You are expected to study intensively in a specific area by producing a piece of work that will enhance the theoretical debate in that area and/or make an impact from an empirical perspective.

“To do so, a PhD student needs a supervisor, usually two supervisors, who are expected to be ‘research active’. Research active is an academic not simply having a doctorate … but with a track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals or top publishers.

“However, the University of South Wales, particularly the Business School and the Law Department, seems to depart from this model.

“What is the plan at the law department to supervise PhD students? students? To be a zero publication active researcher is an oxymoron. If an academic is research active, he or she must have publications, both in terms of quantity and quality.

“Well, at the University of South Wales’ law department, they have managed to achieve an unenviable, impossible goal. At the moment, in law, there are some PhD students from abroad, with a visa and others from the UK. In both cases, there are PhD supervisors, advertised in official websites of the USW as research active and in a position to supervise PhD students, who in reality have zero publications.”

The whistleblower went on to name a number of PhD supervising academics who allegedly are not qualified to undertake such work. We passed details of those mentioned to the university.

One involved an academic without a PhD and without a law degree supervising a PhD student from overseas.

The same academic is said to be supervising a PhD. student from Africa, who like the first student benefits from a UK visa.

Solicitor

Another tutor without a PhD or a Masters degree, and simply a solicitor with two publications, is said to be supervising a PhD student. The whistleblower states: “While it is true that this student is close to completing the PhD. in reality [a named academic] may have simply – and against any good principle of good practice – taken over the role of one of the several former academics, more qualified than her, that the university has made redundant – or forced to leave – in the last two years.

In another case, an academic with a PhD in another discipline is said to be supervising at least two students. The academic is said to be a “zero publication active researcher”.

The whistleblower said: “The examples above show that the University of South Wales is manipulating common principles of academic good practice.

“A PhD. lasts at least three years, and usually four. A student who is not from the UK, pays to the University of South Wales something like £16,000 per year: this, multiplied by three, is an amount – not negligible – of around £50,000 per PhD. student in three years.

“A serious institution should recognise that they do not have ‘supervisory capacity’, therefore they do not have any person in a position to supervise, because they are not qualified.

“What does the University of South Wales do? They fraudulently represent to the public that they can supervise PhD students. At the moment, these PhD students constitute the ‘cash-cows’ allowing the University to earn, unlawfully, £300,000 in three years.

“This earning is against the good practice of UK universities and it is against the rules of the USW, where it is required that PhD supervisors should be ‘research active’.

“There is no ‘research active’ member of the academic staff supervising at the moment a PhD belonging to the USW law department.

“These concerns also relate to the Home Office. PhD students from outside the UK get a visa to stay in the UK and also to work here, but the visa is given by an institution, University of South Wales, offering ‘fake’ PhDs.

“This system is also confirmed by the fact that the level of failure of PhD students (students who leave the PhD after two or three years) is quite high. The level of supervision is very poor, or they are supervised in a ‘disciplinarian’ way that is so harsh that the PhD student tries any means to complete the thesis.”

‘Unsubstantiated’

A spokesperson for the University of South Wales said: “We dispute these unsubstantiated claims. The teaching team has relevant professional, practice-based, teaching and research experience, along with professional accreditation, offering a high standard of education to all of our students.

“PhD students are appropriately supervised and supported by a team of academics during their time with us. We follow robust practices for review and assessment of PhDs, ensuring confidence in this process. It is factually incorrect to suggest that there are disproportionately high levels of students who do not complete their PhDs.

“We fully adhere to all of our regulatory requirements, including those set out by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education, who ensure that our courses and awards meet high standards.”

The whistleblower said they stood by their allegations, which they hope will be independently investigated.