Aberdeen University exams to go ahead despite no-detriment policy

The university released details of their no detriment policy via an email to students.

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An e-mail was sent by the University of Aberdeen on the morning of 16th April to level 3, 4, and 5 students regarding a ‘no-detrimental policy’.

The e-mail contained how the university is just being as flexible as they can when it comes to delivering these assessments. In summary, no they are not cancelling the exams.

Aberdeen University has said it is trying to relieve as much stress and hassle on their students, by not putting the regular restrictions that a normal examination would.

Some exams, depending on the course, have been given one-week or two-week deadlines before submission instead of having a time limit in which to complete them in.

The email also states that appropriate extensions are given without needing the students to provide any medical certificates.

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The capping grade for resits have been lifted, so a person doing resits could potentially get a higher grade than just having a mere pass on their courses.

If a fourth-year student has not achieved the right amount of credits then they will be directly considered by the Students Process Committee to be given specific procedures in order to make up for the missing credits.

The examinations are still a huge contributor on what degree specification final year students will get.

The majority of further assessments for first and second years have been cancelled. A lot of third, fourth, and postgraduate students had expressed interests in having their exams cancelled through signing the petition made by Tom Johnson. The petition has over 530 signatures.

A ‘no-detrimental policy’ is announced when a student or group of students is under circumstances that do not allow him/her to perform in peak level during assessments/examinations. A global pandemic like COVID-19 is one of those rare circumstances, that causes the aide of the no-detrimental policy to be applied to assist students.

Other universities have also announced a no-detrimental policy, these policies have different implications when it comes to their examinations and further assessments.

The University of Edinburgh, for example, does not make their examinations compulsory. The exams have no negative impact on the grade point average, but it could, however, boost a student’s grade point average.

The University of  Exeter had the same implications as Edinburgh when it comes to their ‘no-detriment policy’. Exeter claims that as long as the students have gotten at least 40% as their grade point average, that the exams would not impact their current GPA negatively.

These universities are not the only ones who apply this kind of rule, Southampton, Dundee, and dozens of universities are following the trend of only requiring the bare minimum from students.

The question now remains is Aberdeen Uni taking the ethical approach when it comes to the procedures of their no-detriment policy? Should they follow the route that Edinburgh, Exeter and other universities are taking, which only requires the bare minimum?