University College Dublin (UCD) has defended its decision not to supply a detailed breakdown of degree results to the State body that oversees the higher education system here.
It says it has no plans to change the policy, which means it did not provide the Higher Education Authority (HEA) with the full results of some 40 per cent of its degrees. These were awarded mainly to arts graduates in 2004.
HEA figures released to The Irish Times for the first time earlier this week indicated that UCD awards the lowest percentage (9 per cent) of "firsts" of all seven universities to its graduates. The figures showed that 22 per cent of Dublin City University (DCU) graduates were awarded a "first" in 2004.
However, UCD returned 40 per cent of its graduates as having been awarded "unclassified" degrees, meaning such students are not included in the overall HEA figures when broken down by class of award.
A HEA spokeswoman said the figures were based on all available data. She added that the HEA had not previously requested UCD to put them into another format.
A UCD spokesman said "course level" grading of its Bachelor of Arts degrees - with separate overall marks for both subjects studied - was introduced in the 1995- 1996 academic year "in response to student demand to receive full credit for both subjects".
He added: "All of these were honours degrees. The difficulty is that if you are trying to count them with others, it is difficult to extrapolate the figures back. We have no plans to change this currently, but it will change with modularisation of courses. I can't say whether this will allow for a more complete set of results."
Meanwhile, the secretary of DCU has defended the "rigorous and demanding" standard of education at DCU. Martin Conry said the university was satisfied that anybody who obtained such degrees, which are externally assessed, is meeting the "highest international standards".
"Certainly the reaction of employers would suggest that the employment market recognises the quality of a DCU degree," he added. He rejected any suggestion of "dumbing down" and said the percentage of higher degrees awarded on the college's courses was broadly similar to comparable courses elsewhere.