College is considering adopting a “no detriment” policy in this year’s summer assessments, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union President Laura Beston has said.
Beston met with Prendergast today to discuss a proposal that could mean students who get over 40 will not have their overall mark for the year brought down by summer assessments.
In an email statement to The University Times, Beston wrote that TCDSU is “encouraged to have such an open discussion with the provost about Trinity adopting a ‘No Detriment’ Policy”.
“It is evident that some of the supports and procedures suggested as part of this policy are similar to emergency actions that Trinity would be hoping to pursue”, she said, adding that “we hope that adopting a policy of this nature will show students that the college are taking their welfare and academic success seriously at this time”.
Students launched a petition yesterday calling on Trinity to follow UK universities such as the University of Exeter and adopt a policy that would mean students with a passing grade will finish with a final grade that’s either the same or higher than their average so far this year.
The petition says that the no-detriment policy “would ensure that no student’s grades are affected in the long-term, would be a serious support to students during this incredibly difficult time, and would be in line with what many other universities are implementing”.
At the time of publishing, the petition has over 2,300 signatures.
In an email statement to The University Times today, Aoife Carr, a Trinity media relations officer, said that College is “aware of the petition and of the difficult circumstances that many students are working under. All of our plans are being made with these issues very much in mind”.
Similar petitions have been created online calling for University College Cork and Dublin City University.
Last month, The University Times reported that College was considering six contingency plans for examinations, including the possibility of postponing examinations until August.
