The letter has reached a large number of signatures and I have therefore decided to close it so Union Affairs Committee can explore next steps. An update will be provided next week on what action has been decided by the committee. I thank everyone for their support.
Both Coventry and Campus Executive Committees have voted in favour of circulating an open letter for students to sign requesting the university to clearly state its no detriment policy, consider blanket extensions and provide students with partial refunds on their tuition fees.
The letter below states CUSU's new position and gives students the chance to sign in support of the open letter at the very bottom if they agree with the suggested action. Anyone who chooses to sign will remain anonymous when the letter is submitted to the university and this information will be held by CUSU so we can effectively track the number of students who support the letter.
"We write this open letter on behalf of the thousands of students who are all our members across CU Group urging the University to take effective and immediate action to support students and recognise the different experience they have received over the academic year. Students have raised through various channels including An Audience with and the Rep System their dissatisfaction with the University’s response to the pandemic and their failure to compensate students who have been negatively impacted due to COVID-19.
It is, therefore, our responsibility to speak on behalf of our students for which a lack of access to face to face teaching, facilities such as labs and transition to online learning has resulted in students receiving a quality of education which is not commensurate to what they paid for.
Therefore, we call on the University to introduce and clearly communicate the policies and tangible actions taken to reduce the effects of the pandemic on students’ academic studies.
Concerning undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, we ask for:
- The University to clearly state its no detriment policy and explain how this will benefit students, especially for those students where the course hasn’t run previously
- Clarity on grading for students, including a calculator or spreadsheet.
- Students who wish to request two-week extensions to any assessments citing Covid-19 will be automatically granted without any evidence.
- Students who wish to defer time-constrained assessments citing Covid-19 will automatically be granted a deferral without any evidence.
- A clear, visual break down of how students’ tuition fees are spent, asking the University to show percentages of where tuition fees are allocated across the University including staff, buildings, software etc.
- The University to consider partial refunds in tuition fees where funds are allocated that students haven’t directly benefitted.
Concerning self-funded postgraduate research students, we ask for:
- The University to consider a partial refund of fees on a case by case basis whereby postgraduate researchers are individually assessed to ascertain the effect the pandemic has had on their ability to do research.
CUSU feels it should continue to support the University to lobby the government to request financial support to refund students partially. However, this should not stand in the way of the University offering students tuition fee refunds in the interim.
It is requested where possible that the University implements the above considerations with immediate effect. For those which cannot be implemented immediately, we ask that an emergency meeting is called to discuss those points with student officers of CUSU."
If you would like to support this letter you can sign by clicking here. You must sign in to your university Office365 account to be able to sign the letter.
Sign your Support