London: Lakshmi Balakrishnan, a student from Tamil Nadu, India, claimed that she was ‘forcibly transferred’ from a PhD program to a master’s course at the University of Oxford without her consent, despite spending over Rs 1 crore (nearly £100,000) on tuition and living expenses, BBC reported.
Balakrishnan, who already holds two master’s degrees from India, alleges that Oxford’s English Faculty initially accepted her thesis proposal, but later rejected it in her fourth year, citing insufficient scope for PhD-level research.
The Indian student felt betrayed and let down by an institution she deeply respected, as quoted by BBC.
Oxford University Dispute
“I paid for a PhD, not another master’s degree”, said the student.
Raised in southern India by her father after the early loss of her mother, Balakrishnan says she is the first in her family to study abroad, a journey marked by significant personal sacrifices by the family and her father.
During her fourth-year assessment, two separate assessors failed her Shakespeare research project, leading to her transfer. Although she has appealed the faculty’s decision, all attempts have been unsuccessful. “I believe the university wants me to go through endless appeals, hoping I’ll eventually give up,” she added.
Oxford University, in its response, stated that, “To achieve Confirmation of Status, progress must sufficiently demonstrate a strong likelihood of successful completion of a doctoral thesis. Unfortunately, not all students achieve this. Where a student disagrees with the outcome of an assessment they have the right to appeal under the university’s appeal procedure, which ensures fairness and transparency.”
“There is a further internal route of appeal of that decision and a subsequent right to complain to the OIA,” it added.
Can PhD students be transferred to a Master’s degree? What are the protocols of Oxford?
According to Oxford protocols, a PhD student at Oxford can be transferred to a master’s degree if their thesis progress is deemed “unsatisfactory” or if they are not meeting the required standards.
However, this typically involves a formal process and is usually considered after a review of the student’s work.
The appeals process has now concluded, with Oxford University stating that, “To achieve Confirmation of Status, progress must sufficiently demonstrate a strong likelihood of successful completion of a doctoral thesis.”
The Queen’s College, where Ms Balakrishnan was enrolled, has expressed concern regarding her treatment. The college noted that while she failed two assessments, there were no serious concerns highlighted in her term reports.
In addition, two Shakespeare scholars have endorsed her research, stating it has the potential for a PhD, stated the BBC report.
Despite these endorsements, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) supported the university’s stance.
