Soton uni to release assessment adjustment information this week

Soton uni have emailed students to say they will be in touch “early” this week with more details regarding the mitigation measures they have put in place for students.

Many students were disappointed after the university announced it would not be offering a no-detriment policy to students this semester after The Russell Group decided they were not “necessary”.

Soton uni explained on their Students FAQ page that they have “designed our teaching and our assessment for this academic year with awareness of the impact of the pandemic uppermost in our minds. Circumstances continue to be challenging for both students and staff, of course, but for this year we have been able to plan with an understanding of those challenges, which means that we hope to avoid taking any disruptive emergency-measures.”

This was met with a wide range of responses from students. One student made a petition to protest the decision. The petition now has over 1200 signatures.

22 Russell Group SU executives, including Olivia Reed from SUSU, also signed a letter to demand no detriment policies across Russell Group universities. They called for the group to recognise “that all students continue to be affected by the pandemic” and that they should “take immediate action to address the challenges faced by our members”.

The letter also addressed the “unnecessary anxiety” that the lack of no detriment caused for students and asked universities to “clearly publish what mitigations they are putting in place for students” and to “allow for students to self-certify for mitigating circumstances and remove the burden of proof from students”.

The email from the university also highlights the introduction of Ask UoS, which they described the purpose to be “to highlight how we’re listening and responding to what you’re saying about your experience here with us and to provide answers to your most pressing questions.”

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