Almost 1000 York students sign petition demanding safety net for postgrads

Following the announcement of York’s safety net policy, postgrads have been left feeling aggrieved.

Though the policy prevents undergraduates who pass this year from falling below their current grade average, the safety net does not currently apply to postgraduate students.

A petition has been set up demanding that the university introduces a safety net policy for postgrads.

The petition reads: “We are petitioning the University of York for a “safety-net” policy for Postgraduate Taught students, equivalent to what has been offered to Undergraduate students. We are disappointed in the current policy announced by the University on the 3rd of April, stating that PGT students will not be offered any form of safety net due to not being at the university for long enough.

We are facing an unprecedented international crisis, many students have lost access to the resources they would usually have had access to, on top of the emotional hardship we are all facing, and it is not unlikely that grades will suffer in the wake of this.

Other universities have confirmed that they will be offering their Postgraduate students a safety net, including the University of Sheffield, the University of Leicestershire, the University of Exeter, and the University of Liverpool. Implementing a safety net for PGT students is possible, and it seems unfair that this has not been extended to students at the University of York.”

Katharine, a postgraduate at the University of York, told The Tab: “I think it shows significant lack of thought from the university. Undergraduate students are just as likely to be stressed and have many commitments but postgraduates are more likely to be older and have families and other responsibilities. Offering a safety net if a certain amount of the course is complete is not unreasonable and other universities have offered their support to postgraduates. Postgraduates even less so cannot retake years or afford an extension as funding is smaller and less flexible so the safety net would assure so many of us”