Dear Durham University,

We are writing to you today to urge you to reassess your current position on the 2020 summer examinations. It goes without saying that these are extremely unprecedented times for all, and we are sure that we speak on behalf of the student population when we say that we are grateful for the speed and organisation in which the university dealt with its initial closure due to the Coronavirus outbreak. However, we deeply concerned about the university’s proposed plan of action with regards to the examinations.

This is for the following reasons:

1) Cheating

Setting 48-hour, and subsequently open book, exams enables cheating and collusion. It is completely naïve to assume students will sit these 48-hour exams as if they were the real thing. This format will lead to vast disparities in the quality of work between the few students who do sit these exams honestly, and the vast majority who will work together and spend all 48 hours on them. More clarification with regards to word counts and referencing is not enough. There will still be a vast number of students who choose to cheat the system. Additionally, there will be further disparities between the students who have parents, guardians or friends who willing and able to help with or proof-read work etc within this strict 48-hour period, and those who do not. This format of examination will not correctly reflect any individual’s true academic ability or work ethic. Assessing an individual by the summatives they have already completed this year, or setting other summatives in 100% exam modules, would be a far more effective and accurate assessment.

2) Strikes

This last year has been one of the most disrupted and disappointing academic years in recent times. Between the unprecedented lack of contact hours due to strikes and the final disruption in the term due to Coronavirus, the standard of education this year has been exceedingly poor – especially for the price students have paid for it. Expecting students to then teach themselves most of the curriculum in such a high stress and panicked time is simply unreasonable.

3) Unequal access to resources

The structure of these examinations assumes that all students will have equal access to the resources necessary to sit these exams within the specific 48-hour period. This includes: a working laptop, Wi-Fi and a quiet space to work in. We hope you can see that there are significant issues surrounding equality here as students from a less privileged background, or those currently living in uncertain or unstable contexts, may not access to these resources in the strict 48-hour period. This puts them at greater risk of performing worse than those students who do have access to these resources and is therefore unfair.

4) Unprecedented circumstances

These are worrying and uncertain times for everyone. The threat this pandemic poses to our society, economy and health of loved ones is extremely scary. We hope that you realise that it is difficult to maintain the full focus necessary to teach ourselves the curriculum and revise for our exams during such a time of national crisis. On 12th of March, England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said he expected the Coronavirus outbreak to peak 10 to 12 weeks from that date – this is exactly when Durham University’s examination period is scheduled. This means that, during the during the run up to exams, and in the strict 48-hour period, it is highly likely that many students will be suffering from the virus or have to care for loved ones who are. In addition, there will be many students whose families are facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. It is therefore unfair to ask students to focus on their academic work and sit these exams within a specific period with this likely stress and anxiety. SAC forms are simply not enough; they do not make up for the fact some students, if not many, may not be in a position to sit these exams at all.

The cancellation of exams is necessary to ensure equitable and accurate assessment of all students’ academic ability, regardless of background.