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”.