No smoke, no fire

Gillian Evans' comment on the outcome of the Quality Assurance Agency's audit of the University of Cambridge (Letters, THES , November 7) is as misleading as the headline ("Watchdog mauls LBS and Cambridge quality", THES , October 24). The audit team expressed "broad confidence" in Cambridge's management of quality and standards. There was no "smokescreen". Our self-evaluation document, commended by the team for its frankness, made clear which quality assurance procedures were well established and which had recently been introduced. That document was published in the Cambridge University Reporter - a practice commended by the team. I do not know how many people read the document, but to say that staff and students were not informed of those procedures is incorrect.

Graham Allen
Academic secretary
University of Cambridge