THE ORGANISATION that oversees universities, the Office for Students (OfS), will look into how the racism and discrimination complaints made by 80 Indian students of Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) were handled, as revealed by Eastern Eye.
Last week, Eastern Eye published a report stating that all of the students at DMU failed one subject and were dissatisfied with their instruction and the comments they received from faculty.
Keith Vaz, a former MP for Leicester East and a minister for Europe, has been fighting to gain answers for the engineering master’s students.
Lord (James) Wharton, the chair of the OfS, has now written to him to indicate that his colleagues will inquire about the matter with DMU.
“The information that you provided alongside your letter was passed immediately to our regulation team,” wrote the Conservative peer.
“I also understand that, since your letter, the OfS has been contacted by at least seven of the affected students directly.
“My colleagues are assessing all of the information sent by you and the students themselves to assess whether we have concerns related to our conditions of registration.
“We use all of the information shared with us, to build a picture of the risks posed to students and consider what, if any, regulatory action may be appropriate.”
Vaz has written Vice-Chancellor Professor Katie Normington three times in the past month.
According to Eastern Eye, the former minister requested that she speak with every student who had expressed dissatisfaction with the vice chancellor’s response.
“It does not address the key points they have raised,” wrote Vaz.
“It also does not give any details of the investigation and who conducted it; the number of students who are aggrieved has grown since my first letter to you.
“The reason why other agencies have been involved is because the students themselves felt the system you have in place at DMU does not give them the opportunity to be properly and independently heard.”
The former minister requested the report she had ordered on their complaints from the university head.
According to Eastern Eye, the vice chancellor hasn’t replied to the previous letter.
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