Students fearing for their future have launched a petition calling for Dundee University to introduce a “safety net” to protect their grades.
End of year assessments are due to take place but other universities have introduced a system in which students who fail to reach standards set earlier in the year can rely of pre-lockdown results to make an average grade.
Although online lectures have been taking place since the university closed, Amber Woodward, who launched the petition, said the pandemic and earlier staff strikes have left students with “severely limited” access to teaching and resources.
Dundee University is working with a “no detriment” policy, meaning examiners will take the unusual circumstances into account when marking assessments.
Student Amber said: “The purpose of the safety net is to protect the grades that students have worked so hard to achieve.
“Students still have to participate in end of year assessments but provided they obtain the pass mark of 40%, their average will remain the same or higher than the average already attained.
“The petition is asking University of Dundee to take into account these extraordinary and unprecedented conditions.
“Many students will be struggling to study in an environment that does not allow them to demonstrate their full potential, with some being negatively impacted by mental or physical illness during this difficult time.
“Introduction of a safety net will align Dundee with other premier universities in the UK, enabling graduates to compete in a level playing field in their future careers.”
Amber said a poll of more than 800 students showed they felt the current policy is inadequate and 90% of respondents want to see the safety net introduced.
Other universities using the safety net include Oxford, Warwick, Exeter and Edinburgh.
A university spokesperson said: “`We are aware of the safety net petition and questionnaire.
“The no detriment policy… ensures the impact of any disruption is taken into account by providing our examination boards with a number of tools to measure impact and put in place appropriate measures.
“The aim of the no detriment approach is to be fair to students but at the same time, to uphold the academic rigour and quality standards of our degree programmes. This is a tried and tested approach which is appropriate for the current circumstances.”
A spokesman for Dundee University Students Association said it is aware of the petition and is working with both students and university staff.
