The coronavirus has affected every student at York St John University. The university bought an abrupt end to the semester on 20/03/2020, with an early Easter break and says it will bring all classes online on 20/04/2020, meaning students are missing out on being taught to the usual standard and many have missed out on essential practical workshops/lectures for their courses. Now all university buildings have closed, students cannot access library books or other essential learning facilities. Many student’s mental health will be extremely negatively impacted by the pandemic, many will have to work in unsuitable environments that will not allow them to work to their full potential, and many will be hindered by coronavirus directly affecting them or their loved ones. Thus far, the university has not done enough to support its students, with many being told their assessments will be carried about in the exact same way despite the lack of proper teaching or support.
We are asking York St John to introduce a mitigation system similar to the one introduced by the University of Exeter in order to bring fairer results for 3rd year undergraduates and final year postgraduate students. At 9.40AM on 25/03/2020, the University of Exeter announced that student assessment would be mitigated through a "safety net" policy. The Deputy Vice Chancellor wrote that:
o   "So long as [students] would qualify to progress/graduate based on [their] marks obtained this year ... then [the university] will ensure that [students'] final academic year average is the same as, or higher than, the average [they] have attained up to Sunday 15th March."
o   "If [students] achieve higher marks in assessments submitted and examinations undertaken after Sunday 15th March then [they] will be able to raise your mark for the year."
o   In summary, "as long as you qualify to pass the year, completing the summer assessments can only help not hinder you because we will not let the extraordinary circumstances in which you are completing these assessments leave you with a mark below your current overall mark."
Considering the exceptional and unexpected circumstances brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, this type of mitigating system will help to create more equal results for students being assessed at the University. This is because it allows students to achieve a grade which reflects their work under ordinary circumstances, whilst providing an incentive to do well in summer assessments and still giving students who did not achieve their desired grades last semester a chance to improve.