PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THE BODY OF THIS LETTER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST ANY CHANGES, PLEASE MESSAGE ONE OF THE HISTORY UNDERGRAD STUDENT REPS (jdj28@cam.ac.uk, rz321@cam.ac.uk, tpn28@cam.ac.uk)
Members of the Board and Members of the Committee,
Firstly, we hope you are all doing well as we are aware of the stress and strain that current circumstances are putting on staff and student alike. The government’s recent announcement of a third national lockdown has undoubtedly only worsened these feelings for many of us and, as a result, an increasing number of students are deeply concerned about the future of their study and the potential impacts of the new announcement on this year’s set of assessments. As a result, we feel it is necessary for a number of changes to be made to standing examination provisions for this academic year. Although we appreciate the work and effort that has gone into adapting this years’ assessments to accommodate for the on-going crisis, the fact that in-person teaching is to be delayed for at least another term and that the majority of students will not even be allowed to return to Cambridge for the foreseeable future will undoubtedly cause a degree of academic disruption greater than what was anticipated when these arrangements were made. This is not to mention the long-term effects that the pandemic and endless cycles of lockdowns and isolations have had on many students’ mental health and motivation to work since last March. New provisions must be implemented.
In the below list of recommendations, our requests will be split into two parts: accommodations for Part II students, and accommodations for Part I students. We recognise that the new announcement will likely have a much graver effect on finalists who are set to receive their final grades this year despite the endless uncertainty and disruption to which they have been subjected. We are therefore asking for greater accommodations to be made for Part II students, the most crucial of which will be an exam safety net to ensure that finalists are not judged based on performance in a year in which regular performance simply cannot be expected. For Part I students, we feel that it is crucial that the Faculty guarantees that all non-finalists will be allowed to proceed to their next year of study regardless of performance and for exam allowances to be made, just as last year. Again, this will guarantee that no student is penalised for circumstances entirely out of their control. With that said, please see our list of recommendations below:
Demands for Part II Students
1 - An exam safety net
We hold that it is unfair for finalists to be judged solely via assessment this year as a result of the diminished quality of teaching that the pandemic is causing; as the University itself has previously stated, online teaching is not of the same value in-person teaching and thus the Faculty cannot reasonably expect students’ assessment performances to be of the same quality this year as they would have been in a regular year. It is therefore absolutely essential that any grade finalists receive this year is formulated with reference to their whole body of work during their studies. This could include reference to past exam performances (where applicable), supervision work, and supervisor/director of studies reports, although it should be noted that the use of summative grades is the preferable choice for many finalists. Unfortunately, due to the disruption that also occurred in the previous academic year, it may be difficult to put together a holistic picture of how many finalists would have performed under regular circumstances, so we kindly ask for leniency in grading from the Faculty and for a commitment to ensure that no student will be given a grade that is unreflective of how they may otherwise have been expected to perform.
2 - A transparent appeals process for final grades
Such a process of assessment may unfortunately leave grades to be extremely subjective and it is inevitable that many finalists will feel that their final grades are not truly reflective of their full capabilities; this will be particularly pertinent for students who chose to submit portfolios this year. Finalists must therefore be allowed to appeal any grade that they feel is not an adequate representation of their skills, and the Faculty must at least oblige any student who does appeal with an explanation for their final grade. The opacity of the Faculty’s appeals system has been a point of complaint in the past, and this must be fixed.
3 - Changes to coursework examination
Current circumstances have greatly impacted students’ abilities to complete coursework to a high standard. We are therefore asking that students are offered an extension on coursework deadlines to compensate for the disruption that the pandemic has caused. Additionally, students should not be penalised for lacking in range of resources in their coursework as remote learning and the closure of libraries in Cambridge will vastly limit the range and quality of resources that students can access.
4 - Expansion of access to online resources
Nonetheless, both the Faculty and the University must strive to expand the number of resources that are available to students online as the reduced access to University resources caused by lockdown will pose serious problems to Part II and Part I students alike. With this considered, student access to online resources should be expanded as much as possible. Specifically, we advise two courses of action: 1. Making online collections (such as the Marshall Library online collection) available to students of all years; 2. Cancelling the £2 fee for printing of resources in electronic legal deposit for as many students as possible, prioritising finalists, students engaging in research, and students in financial hardship. We understand that this will cause difficulty and will require not only a departmental but also a University-wide endeavour, however we believe that it is essential for such accommodations to be made.
5 - A reduction in workload and exam allowances
Finally, we believe that finalists should be offered the option to drop one of the papers they are to be judged on this year, as was offered last year. This will allow finalists to refine their studying and allocate greater focus to their other papers in the hopes of giving a fairer representation of their abilities in a less tumultuous year. Such a measure will also reduce finalists’ stress and workload at a time in which students’ mental health must be absolutely prioritised. Where exams do go ahead, they should follow the model outlined below.
Demands for Part I Students
1 - Exam allowances
The current scheme of examination was published in December, before situations worsened. Standing provisions give most students a 6-hour window for their exams with the alternative of submitting portfolio essays, reflecting last year’s allowances. However, given that the current situation is more arduous than it was last December, and the fact that many students face uncertainties about returning to Cambridge, especially international students who have returned home over the holiday, students who choose to complete online assessments should be given a full 24-hour window during which to do so. The option to submit a portfolio rather than completing an online assessment should also be maintained. Furthermore, the number of questions on each exam paper should be reduced, again allowing students to fine-tune their current studies and ensuring that assessments will be manageable for students where they do go ahead.
2 - Arrangements for students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs)
We recognise that both the department and the wider university are aware of the additional difficulties that current circumstances pose to students with SLDs, however we kindly encourage the Faculty to reaffirm its acknowledgement that online assessments can unfairly disadvantage students with SLDs and that this is clarified for markers this year. This is in light of the 2020 Part I External Examiners’ Report in which it is stated that it was “not clear… that the SLD [of students] was always taken into consideration by markers”; this is something the Faculty should strive to correct.
3 - A guarantee that all Part I students will proceed to their next year of study
Finally and most crucially, this measure will go a long way to ensuring that no student will be penalised for underperforming in a year in which, as mentioned already, regular performance cannot be expected. Given that the same measure was taken last year and that circumstances have only become strenuous since, it is critical that Part I students are again provided with this safety net.
We appreciate that this list is rather extensive, however we truly believe that extraordinary measures are needed to compensate for a year of extraordinary academic disruption. As students, we understand that this has been an unimaginably difficult time for the Faculty and that these decisions will require much thought and consideration, however we strongly urge that you recognise the unprecedented difficulty of students’ current circumstances and take action accordingly. As evidence of the support for such measures, please see the below signature form of History students, whose suggestions and concerns have been incorporated into this letter:
PLEASE SIGN SIGNATURE AS NAME, COLLEGE (YEAR OF MATRICULATION)