A professor, forced to resign for failing students, has won his case for constructive dismissal in a ruling that sends a warning to universities against artificially inflating their results.

Professor Paul Buckland and a board of external examiners failed 14 students on the Environmental Archaeology course at Bournemouth University in 2006 but officials at the institution overruled the decision.

Professor Buckland resigned in protest when the students were passed and an internal review found that the fault lay with the examiners and university officials had "a right to arbitrarily overrule the correct marking process." But a tribunal has found the university official involved guilty of “intermeddling” in the marking.

University league tables put lecturers under pressure to mark positively and have led to a dramatic increase in the number of first class degrees awarded, Professor Geoffrey Alderman, former chair of the academic council at the University of London said in June.

Dr Miles Russell, course leader of the archaeology degree, had intervened when the students failed their re-sits to give them all pass marks. Dr Brian Astin, chair of the board of examiners and the dean of the school of conservation approved the change.

The tribunal ruling said Dr Russell ‘simply had no business intermeddling in the marking of the papers...whatever his motives may have been’.

Professor Buckland could receive a financial payout or be reinstated, the University and College Union (UCU) who supported his appeal said. The union added that the ruling sent a clear and important message to other universities that they cannot inflate grades to make themselves appear more attractive to undergraduates.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary said the tribunal’s decision was a victory for high standards in education. “Dr Buckland’s defence of academic standards and examination procedures must be congratulated,” she said. “However, we are deeply concerned about the events that led to this tribunal. With the review into university fees due next summer, we urge the government to step back from any further marketisation of higher education.

Kevin Moloney, chair of Bournemouth UCU, said: “The move towards a market in higher education through things like university fees has led to consumerist attitudes to degrees. We hope here that the decision leads to a review and reform of procedures here and throughout the country.”

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