A fifth of universities are acting unlawfully in the legal terms they use regarding course modifications, a report by Which? has revealed. Furthermore, over half of UK universities have been found to use terms that allow them to change the content and mode of assessment of courses as they choose. Only five per cent of universities were found not to have used unlawful terms.

The report was based on responses to Freedom of Information Act requests from 142 UK universities. 49 institutions were criticised for not providing sufficient information for Which? to analyse.

Megan Dunn, NUS Vice President, welcomed the report’s emphasis on “valid and long standing concerns about fairness and protection for students”. She said it was “completely unacceptable” that “universities can currently dramatically change – or sometimes entirely close – courses during students’ studies”, and called for a “frank conversation” on the issue.

In one particular instance, a student was alerted two weeks before starting university that she had to study an entire extra subject she had not signed up for, in combination with her original degree.

Other students complained about assessment methods differing from those advertised, shifting from coursework to examinations, or about being forced to repeat topics because of final year modules being cut entirely from the degree course. 26 institutions were also found to be breaching the law by using terms that permit them to increase fees with no prior warning of the size of the increase.

Which? Executive Director Richard Lloyd expressed concern over the “widespread use of unfair terms”, whilst the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking to examine evidence from this report. The government department disclosed that 31 per cent of universities used wording that may infringe upon the law.

Conversely, Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, argued that student satisfaction is at an all-time high and that a unique part of the university experience is that courses change according to current research.

The problems do not, however, regard the implementation of new modules, but instances where the course has “been turned on its head”, as a student at the University of Greenwich complained to the Guardian newspaper.

The University of Cambridge has not been found to be using unlawful terms. A spokesman told Varsity: “Cambridge believes that it treats its students fairly. If course changes are proposed, the University takes care to ensure that no student is disadvantaged, and that information for prospective students is accurate

“The University has responded to the Competition and Markets Authority draft guidance and has its recommendations under consideration.”

The CMA plans to publish its full advice shortly and is setting a time limit for when it expects universities to comply.