Victory in unfair dismissal case for the don who fought dumbing-down

A university lecturer who took a stand against dumbing down has won a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal.

Professor Paul Buckland, 61, felt forced to quit his post at Bournemouth University after being asked to grant pass marks to students who had failed.

He had failed 14 of 60 second-year students taking an environmental archaeology degree, but a senior don intervened to claim his marking had been too harsh.

When he was told all but three students deserved to be upgraded, Professor Buckland resigned, saying he was not prepared to 'dumb down the course any further'.

His decision to quit last year provoked a row over academic standards.

He said at the time: 'If you don't make a stand somewhere, you might as well start selling the degrees on eBay.'

Yesterday he said he felt 'vindicated' by the tribunal's ruling in his claim for unfair constructive dismissal.

The tribunal said the remarking of exam papers checked by Professor Buckland was an 'insult to his integrity'.

His union, the university and college union hailed an 'important victory for everyone who values high standards and probity in our universities'.

The ordeal began last year after 18 students failed his course after scoring low marks in exams. After resits, Professor Buckland judged 14 still to have failed.

But even though the marking had been ratified by a second examiner and endorsed by a formal exam board, senior staff within the School of Conservation Sciences instigated remarking.

Professor Buckland said his marks had been overturned without his involvement.

The tribunal said it found it ' extraordinary' the papers were remarked.

A Bournemouth University spokesman said it was 'very disappointed with the outcome but is currently studying the detailed judgment'.