We, Year 3 Accounting and Finance Students, are writing this letter regarding arrangements for our upcoming January assessments, and concerns we have regarding student safety.  We are addressing these concerns to the University and to the external accrediting bodies.

Over the past few weeks, the cohort has conveyed concerns regarding the Omicron variant and student safety during both examinations and in-person classes.  We have been unsuccessful so far in our search for compromise, and the University has stated that it will continue to follow the guidelines set by the government.  The University are also restricted by the views of the accountancy accreditation bodies, who are insisting on in person examinations to take place nationally – and if not, Universities will risk losing their accrediting status for financial qualifications.

Whilst ECs and the possible deferral of assessments remain an option, a significant number of students do not see this as favourable due to the risk that it may result in a delayed graduation.  Some have described making an EC application as ‘embarrassing’ and a ‘last resort’.  Some students have expressed that they would choose to attend an exam whilst they had Covid-19 rather than have an EC, which cannot be an option, especially for those of us who are clinically vulnerable or live with vulnerable people.

To summarise our concerns:

Severe anxiety of catching Covid-19 close to an exam, with no real plans in place.
Severe anxiety of catching Covid-19 in a high-risk area such as the University, and passing it on to at-risk relatives/friends.
Wearing a mask during an exam is a distraction for students, which risks affecting performance.
Health Concerns for those with existing conditions.
Despite the mentioned above, there is no safety net in place.
For other courses which are accredited by external awarding bodies, such as vet students, their awarding body is allowing them to sit their assessments online if they test positive for covid.  We cannot understand why the same provision is not being considered for accountancy students.

We urge the University and accrediting bodies to work together to allow those who test positive to take the examinations online from home, to ensure the safety of others and to avoid the possible negative impact of extenuating circumstances on graduation.