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Journalism students demand refund amid claim course ‘not value for money’

Journalism students have demanded a refund from their university amid claims their course does not represent “value for money”.

The demand has been issued to Sheffield Hallam University after 25 postgraduate journalism students completed a student experience survey they set up themselves.

Concerns raised by the students, who pay up to £13,500 in tuition fees, include a lack of placements and the fact the course is not accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

In response, the university has told Sheffield daily The Star it does not guarantee placements for students and acknowledeged the impact of COVID-19 on learning.

Sheffield Hallam

MA international journalism student Lydia Turner, who is leading the campaign, told Star reporter Steve Jones: “What we were sold when we enrolled isn’t what we received. We can’t justify paying 100pc of our semester three fees.”

Lydia said she had to wait more than a month for a response from her department after outlining students’ concerns in an 18-page document and requesting some of their money back.

She added: “There’s a lot of disgust because people enrolled into this course over having a two-week placement and no one has received that.

“A lot of people were under the impression they would receive the NCTJ, the industry’s qualification.”

Nearly 60pc of the 25 students surveyed by Lydia said they felt their mental health had been impacted by recent University and College Union strikes, which saw them lose out on teaching time, and coronavirus situation at their university.

A spokesperson for the university told The Star: “We understand and recognise the impact that COVID-19, and the strike period which immediately preceded it, has had on our university community, and we are therefore committed to ensuring there is no detriment to our students’ learning, how they are assessed, and their results because of restrictions arising from COVID-19.

“Staff in the journalism department, and across the university, have worked swiftly and innovatively to put alternative learning and teaching methods, resources and support in place to ensure students’ ability to progress.

“We have introduced a range of measures to support students, both academically and through our wellbeing services, to ensure no one is disadvantaged. More information on this and other measures can be found on our advice page at shu.ac.uk/coronavirus.”

Addressing the criticisms over the lack of placement opportunities and NCTJ accreditation, the spokesperson told HTFP: “PG journalism students at Sheffield Hallam University are not promised work experience.

“The course literature states that students will be given help to find work placements, and department staff do this every year, often seeking help from their own contacts in the industry.

“There were no work placements this year because of the limitations on student and working life brought about by the coronavirus lockdown.

“Sheffield Hallam is not accredited by the NCTJ nor does it claim to be. We do state that our journalism MA courses run to NCTJ standards and that the university hosts NCTJ examinations each year as an independent centre for our journalism students. Most of students’ NCTJ exam fees are paid by the university.

“This year the exams have been put back because of COVID-19 restrictions and all students from our MA courses who have elected to do so will sit the official NCTJ law for journalists and/or sports journalism exams remotely in June and July.”

The university’s website states it has “worked closely” with the NCTJ, among other bodies, in designing its postgraduate journalism programme.

NCTJ accreditation manager Emma Robinson told HTFP: “The journalism courses at Sheffield Hallam University are not accredited by the NCTJ.

“The university’s last application in October 2014 was turned down as the MA Journalism course didn’t meet the industry’s standard for NCTJ-accredited courses.

“Students can, of course, sit NCTJ exams if they would like to and we are happy to discuss the arrangements with the university or students can book a national exam sitting direct with the NCTJ.”