Eight students fear marking limbo

An external examiner has raised concerns about arrangements for the final cohort of students at Exeter University's centre for women's studies, which is to be axed in September.

Marion Shaw, head of Loughborough University's department of English and drama, has written to Exeter asking who is to mark the MA dissertations of eight students. The dissertations must be submitted by August 31, the day the centre's administrative secretary leaves. Centre director Gillian Hanscombe has been told her contract ends on August 30. No comment was available this week from the university.