University of Portsmouth vice-chancellor confirms assessment process will take place despite student petition

The university of Portsmouth’s vice-chancellor has said examinations and assessments will take place this year but has reassured students that ‘no student will be disadvantaged’ by the disruption caused by the cornavirus pandemic.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The university has moved to clarify the situation following a student petition signed by more than 5,600 people to cancel this year’s examinations and assessments due to the closure of face to face teaching and the ‘stress and anxiety’ caused by the disruption.

Petition organiser and University of Portsmouth student, Molly Rose Carpenter, stated: ‘We as students believe that it’s now vital to seriously consider the wellbeing of everyone at the university and what measures can reasonably be put in place in order to combat additional stress and anxiety.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘We are calling for the University of Portsmouth to cancel all remaining assessments and exams and calculate grades off of previously achieved grades.’

University of Portsmouth vice-chancellor, professor Graham Galbraith, feels it is important to maintain some form of assessment for the 'integrity' of student's qualifications.University of Portsmouth vice-chancellor, professor Graham Galbraith, feels it is important to maintain some form of assessment for the 'integrity' of student's qualifications.
University of Portsmouth vice-chancellor, professor Graham Galbraith, feels it is important to maintain some form of assessment for the 'integrity' of student's qualifications.
Read More
University of Portsmouth expert gives ten top tips to help children deal with co...

Vice-chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith, said an assessment process will take place but that the process will be fair.

Professor Galbraith said: ‘I know and understand why some students have raised questions and are anxious about our approach to assessments and examinations in response to this unprecedented situation.

‘The university has developed a comprehensive and supportive approach to providing a fair assessment for all our students, to ensure that no student is disadvantaged by the current exceptional circumstances.’

Students from the University of Portsmouth feel that disruption caused by coronavirus should result in examinations and other forms of assessment being cancelled.Students from the University of Portsmouth feel that disruption caused by coronavirus should result in examinations and other forms of assessment being cancelled.
Students from the University of Portsmouth feel that disruption caused by coronavirus should result in examinations and other forms of assessment being cancelled.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The vice-chancellor has vowed to consider individual circumstances which could have compromised a student’s performance but believes an assessment process is important to ensure the ‘integrity of the qualification a student achieves is not compromised’.

Professor Galbraith added: ‘We are very much aware of how challenging this situation is for our students and will ensure that individual circumstances, where appropriate, are fully considered.

‘It’s vitally important that students continue to engage actively with their learning and assessments. We are confident our approach will enable our students to achieve the qualification their hard work, talent and dedication deserves and have the credibility in future years to enable them to compete with those who graduated in normal times.’

Students supporting the petition believed outcomes should have been calculated based on a ‘no detriment policy’ which has been adopted by some other universities. The policy acts as a ‘safety net’ to ensure students obtain at least their average grade achieved so far based on already submitted assessments.

It was a stance supported by the University of Portsmouth Student Union.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking before the university’s decision, Student Union president, Helena Schofield, said: ‘The officer team have been considering the option of a no detriment policy prior to seeing this petition and we are happy to see that so many students share our views.

‘We urge the university to follow the example of Exeter and Southampton Universities and implement a no detriment policy‘ to better support our students during this difficult and unprecedented time.’

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.