The Cambridge Student Union (SU) presidents, Ben Margolis and Aastha Dahal, have signed an open letter from Russell Group universities’ student unions which was published yesterday (11/01). The letter, addressed to the Russell Group Chief Executive and Vice Chancellors, demands that the universities revise their current policy towards assessment and grading, which does not include a safety net for graduating students.
This letter was published following a statement from the Russell Group of universities that there would not be a no-detriment policy implemented, as there was in 2020, for students this year.
According to the statement, the Russell Group has declined to implement a similar policy because last year’s exams did not take place as usual, meaning grades could not reasonably be based on them. Instead finalists will be assessed based on methods “specifically designed for this academic year to ensure that they are robust in the light of the pandemic”.
22 Russell Group SU executives demand no detriment policy
The Russell Group has said safety net policies are not ‘necessary’ this year
3 months ago
22 Russell Group Students’ Unions, Associations, and Guilds are calling on Russell Group Vice-Chancellors to address the no detriment policy.
Last week, the Russell Group said it doesn’t think no detriment policies were “necessary” this year. The letter, signed today by SU executives at 22 Russell Group universities, urges the Russell Group to “take immediate action to address the challenges faced by our members”.
It calls on the Russell Group “to recognise that all students continue to be affected by the pandemic”, saying the circumstances that caused the no detriment policies to be created last year are still “impacting students, which is why mitigating policies are still necessary”.