A petition calling for a safety net for Newcastle students has over 1,500 signatures

A petition calling for Newcastle University students to have a safety net reinstated has gained over 1,500 after student unrest surrounding the information given about semester two.

You can find the petition here.

Following an email from the University, students have been told, “not to return to campus at this time unless it is absolutely necessary for your course, your research or your wellbeing”, which has coincided with a surge in signatures on the petition.

The University has introduced a “near-miss” policy this year, however, many students feel that is not enough and they should be compensated as academic circumstances are the same as last year, where there was a safety net.

The petition was set up by Harry Hay, a student at Newcastle University, in November, as he felt that it was unfair to hold students to the same standards as previous years as the playing field is far from level.

He told The Newcastle Tab: “Whilst it is understandable, given the unprecedented situation, that face to face teaching has effectively been halted, students should not be held to the same standards as those carrying out exams and dissertations in normal times.

“By doing this, Universities are assuming all students have a suitable environment and resources to learn and work from their accommodation or homes as they would usually. This simply isn’t the case for everybody.”

Last academic year, students across the country were offered a safety net, due to the disruptions caused by the strikes and by COVID. This meant that students would finish the year with the minimum baseline of their semester one grades, as long as they passed every module.

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