Experiencing magical courses

There is so much wrong with this...

The Australian reports on an Australian Universities Quality Audit report into the Endeavour College of Natural Health (report available here).

The Australian doesn't list the full "13 recommendations, four commendations and two affirmations" in the report, but notes that students

were largely cynical towards the college's management and were "not impressed" with the state of facilities, "particularly as they are paying what they perceive to be large fees".

Students were critical of the College's "student experience" and the report also noted the College's "cultural challenges".

EoR has no idea what these marketing weasel words have to do with education. Are the students customers clients stakeholders attending College for the "experience" rather than an education? And what sort of "experience"? Relevant, accurate knowledge? Intellectual debate? Examinations? Rigorous tutors? The student bar? The night life?

Of course, the glaring omission here, as in the UK, is that the Australian authorities will license any sort of course if it meets certain management and regulatory provisions. The actual content of that course can be as wacky, unproven or magical as you like. What, for instance, is the real world basis for teaching units such as Chakra Meridian Interface or Acupuncture Channel Theory?