Due to strikes earlier in the year and the current covid-19 situation, university students have been denied learning opportunities, scheduled classes, and resources from both the library and IT department. This has made the completion of assignments difficult and in some cases impossible; meaning that many students have been left without a means to complete assignments both to the quality they are used to, and in some cases without a way to complete assignments at all. 

The university has implemented a non-detriment policy, but this does not account for at risk students or low-income students who are now unable to complete these assignments at all due to having no home computer, books, stable internet access, or means to access online resources. They have offered laptop loans for students on-campus, which doesn’t benefit students who have had to return to their homes, or students who have underlying medical conditions and cannot leave their accommodations, and also students who are ill and self-isolating.

Instead of offering extenuating circumstances so that the assignments pile up and cause these students extra stress on top of the lockdown and current home situations, the university should consider following in the footsteps of A-level courses and GCSE courses who have given their students the opportunity to take the stress off of their shoulders and receive their predicted grades. I feel that this option should be open to university students, who pay for their courses even though some have not had lectures since February and could be struggling with their material.