“The contractual and educational challenges in delivering ‘high-quality’ online tuition to Chinese students across disciplines in the ‘New Normal’.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented significant hurdles both legal and educational in delivering education (spanning the disciplines) that is both of high-quality and represents VFM in exchange for 'high-ticket' international student tuition fees. Chinese students require special attention because international university degrees gained online are not always recognised in China, although this has been temporarily suspended during the pandemic. Chinese students are the largest international body of students in England and extremely important to the UK higher education sector.
What 'high-quality' provision looks like across disciplines has been the subject of much debate in UK higher education and is a complex and difficult concept to agree upon, let alone measure, particularly in the context of a fully or blended online environment. Regulators in England and Wales have stressed that universities must be transparent in their marketing, be clear and honest about what students can expect in the new post pandemic academic year and stressing that education must continue to be of high-quality and represent good value for money. Consumer legislation such as the Consumer Rights Act 2015 continues to apply in terms of the educational service provision.
Being able to demonstrate to Chinese authorities that Chinese students are receiving high-quality online provision that will underpin continued confidence in UK higher educational programmes will be legally and educationally challenging in the ‘new normal’ across disciplines. The added difficulties of accessing internet and VLEs can be a problem for Chinese students and recently we learn that some international webinars will need prior approval. Students being able to participate and take part in conferences and webinars is seen as ‘added value’ on some educational programmes as well as demonstrating high-quality provision that connects academia with industry and the ‘real world of work’.
Colleagues from across the USW community will talk about the challenges they face in their respective disciplines in delivering online learning to students from China that meets required standards of provision.