Built-in rewards

May I provide additional information to your article (THES, October ) which stated "a new university raised the marks of over 4,000 of its students by 6 per cent because of disruption caused by building work on one of its campuses".

1. Compensation was applied only to those parts of courses taken during the summer term which were affected by the building work, not to other parts of the courses.

2. 1,500 full-time students received compensation amounting to 1 per cent of the marks on a degree course.

3. 1,400 part-time students received compensation amounting to about 0.5 per cent of the marks on a degree course.

While the university regrets the disruption arising from the exceptional circumstances associated with a Pounds 40 million refurbishment and new building programme, the benefits of having the best facilities in Europe for education in media, television, film, video, radio, photographic arts and sciences, fashion, illustration and ceramics, were well worth the effort.

Terence Burlin Rector, University of Westminster