Admit all 2020 Lincoln College, Oxford A-level offer-holders as unconditional
Admit all 2020 Lincoln College, Oxford A-level offer-holders as unconditional
The Issue
A-level students have seen a mass downgrading of predicted grades, with up to 40% of grades below expected achievements, as a result of Covid-19 exam cancellations this year. [1]
This has largely and disproportionately affected students from state schools and working class backgrounds. [2] It fuels a systemic selection of students from privilege and private institutions, circumstances that the University has responded to with ongoing targets to widen access, though this has remained slow. [3]
As part of the University's and College's pledged commitments to improve diversity, increase outreach and foster an inclusive environment, [4] we believe it is the duty of the College to make adjustments for these extraordinary circumstances.
The offer-holder students have already demonstrated their capability through arduous entrance examinations and interviews at Lincoln, and have already been deemed by our Tutors to be some of the brightest and most hard-working thinkers of the A-level cohort. On top of this, the algorithmic result grades this year have selected against those that have achieved all of this whilst overcoming adversity.
As a body of alumni and current students, we therefore urge Lincoln College, Oxford to make a pledge to accept all A-level offer holders as unconditional this year.
This would be following suit of other Oxford colleges, including Worcester College [5] and Hertford College [6] who have now agreed to expand their accepted cohorts to accommodate these exceptional circumstances.
As alumni and current students of Lincoln, our times at the College have left us with precious memories and given us the skills to be independent thinkers and leaders, with the confidence to fulfil our greatest ambitions. In the face of this unprecedented situation, we do not want any student to be denied this opportunity, despite years of hard work, based on a social circumstance lottery. For Lincoln to act now would not only be a necessity for the College's targets to broaden access, but also would make a statement of Lincoln's openness as a forward-thinking Oxford institution.
2. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/19703
5. https://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/about/news/worcester-college-places-all-uk-offer-holders
6. https://twitter.com/HertfordCollege?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
The Issue
A-level students have seen a mass downgrading of predicted grades, with up to 40% of grades below expected achievements, as a result of Covid-19 exam cancellations this year. [1]
This has largely and disproportionately affected students from state schools and working class backgrounds. [2] It fuels a systemic selection of students from privilege and private institutions, circumstances that the University has responded to with ongoing targets to widen access, though this has remained slow. [3]
As part of the University's and College's pledged commitments to improve diversity, increase outreach and foster an inclusive environment, [4] we believe it is the duty of the College to make adjustments for these extraordinary circumstances.
The offer-holder students have already demonstrated their capability through arduous entrance examinations and interviews at Lincoln, and have already been deemed by our Tutors to be some of the brightest and most hard-working thinkers of the A-level cohort. On top of this, the algorithmic result grades this year have selected against those that have achieved all of this whilst overcoming adversity.
As a body of alumni and current students, we therefore urge Lincoln College, Oxford to make a pledge to accept all A-level offer holders as unconditional this year.
This would be following suit of other Oxford colleges, including Worcester College [5] and Hertford College [6] who have now agreed to expand their accepted cohorts to accommodate these exceptional circumstances.
As alumni and current students of Lincoln, our times at the College have left us with precious memories and given us the skills to be independent thinkers and leaders, with the confidence to fulfil our greatest ambitions. In the face of this unprecedented situation, we do not want any student to be denied this opportunity, despite years of hard work, based on a social circumstance lottery. For Lincoln to act now would not only be a necessity for the College's targets to broaden access, but also would make a statement of Lincoln's openness as a forward-thinking Oxford institution.
2. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/19703
5. https://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/about/news/worcester-college-places-all-uk-offer-holders
6. https://twitter.com/HertfordCollege?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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Petition created on 15 August 2020