Newcastle students can apply for a PEC due to George Floyd’s death

Newcastle University students will be able to apply for mitigating circumstances if their exam performance was affected by George Floyd’s death, the Telegraph reports.

Newcastle is among several universities to have confirmed to the Telegraph that students will be encouraged to apply for personal extenuating circumstances in their exams if they feel the trauma of George Floyd’s death has impacted their performance. Other universities to have also confirmed this news include Oxford, University College London, Cardiff, Sheffield and Warwick.

The decision has come following a student campaign at the University of Oxford calling for the university to “recognise that black students have been left feeling traumatised by watching videos of Mr Floyd’s last moments”.  The campaign particularly called for Oxford’s black students to be granted mitigating circumstances in their exams.

In response, Oxford University was the first to suggest students should apply for mitigating circumstances as Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson has said that the University is “determined to support our black students in every way possible”.

In a letter to students, Oxford University expressed a commitment to support BAME groups and a recognition of the trauma caused by the brutality of George Floyd’s death, the Telegraph has reported.

Other universities who have followed in the footsteps of the Oxford have echoed the need to support BAME students during this time and encourage any student who feels they have been adversely affected by George Floyd’s death to apply for mitigating circumstances.

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