Wednesday 10-02-2021 - 16:23

 

Hi everyone

We recognise that many students’ studies are still being negatively affected by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. We have therefore sought assurances from the University that there will be no detrimental effect on your performance, and the overall classification of the degree you are awarded, due to the pandemic. Working with the Students’ Association, the University has created a Fair Assessment approach similar to the no detriment approach during the last academic year to protect the quality of your degree.

Progression and Award Boards will look at students both individually, as well as groups of students on the same course, to assess whether any potential impact of the pandemic has resulted in lower than expected performance for an individual, and to ensure that the performance of groups of students on the same course, compares to previous years. They will make any adjustments, if necessary, and where there is uncertainty, to act in the students’ interest.

Additionally, if you are in Year 3 and moving to your Honours Year 4, these boards will take into account your performance in the last academic year and the Coronavirus pandemic to ensure no detriment to your overall classification.

For year 4 students the Award Board will review your overall performance to ensure that any impact caused by the Coronavirus pandemic will be identified to ensure there will be no detriment to your overall performance and adjustments will be made if needed. This will include modules you took part in during the pandemic in year 3 that contribute to your overall classification.

I have included the University Fair Assessment Approach guidance below and hope this alleviates any anxieties you may have been feeling regarding results and classifications.

Stay safe,

Susan Docherty, Student President
Tabitha Nyariki, Vice President SHLS
Zoe Nicholson, Vice President SCEBE
Adil Rahoo, Vice President GSBS

 

Guidance for Students: Fair Assessment Approach at GCU 2020/21

The University intends that no student or cohort of students should suffer academic detriment because of Covid and that is a key principle of the University’s Fair Assessment approach.

Our approach for all GCU students on all years of study includes:

• We will protect the quality of your award.
• We will continue to ensure that you can demonstrate that you meet the requirements of the University and Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies as required.
• Formal examinations taken on campus have been replaced by alternative assessments unless required by Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies.
• Should your formal on campus examination be required, your programme team will inform you when the examination is to be scheduled, ensuring Safe Return to Campus guidance is adhered to.
• If you were scheduled to undertake a placement module in Trimester A, B and/or C, your programme team will keep you updated about any delays or changes made necessary by the impact of the pandemic.
• Details of assessments, including any changes to the previously published assessment information, will be available in the module pages on GCU Learn.
• Progression and Award Boards will recognise the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 when making their decisions. Your profile will be reviewed to ensure that any impact the pandemic may have had on your overall performance is identified, and appropriate adjustments made if necessary. This includes decisions in relation to Merit or Distinction.
• Progression and Award Boards will look ‘at individuals’ and ‘at cohorts’ as a holistic approach to assessing whether any potential impact of the pandemic has resulted in lower than expected performance for an individual, and to ensure that the performance of the cohort over all is comparable to previous years.

 

Year 3: In addition

• For current Year 3 students who subsequently proceed to Honours Year 4, Progression and Awards Boards (PABs) will take 2020/21 results into account (where relevant) and recognise the exceptional circumstances to ensure that they do not detrimentally affect the overall classification awarded.

 

Year 4: In addition

• Progression and Award Boards will recognise the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 in making their decisions. Your overall profile will be reviewed to ensure that any potential impact the pandemic may have had on your overall performance is identified and appropriate adjustments made if necessary. This includes where Year 3 modules undertaken in Trimester B 2019-20 contribute to the award classification calculation.
• In addition to Progression and Awards Board, scrutiny of Honours degree classification profiles for each discipline will be reviewed at institutional level.