All 1 entries tagged Graduation

University draws out the sting from the AUT strike

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/insite/newsandevents/intnews2/NE100000020523/

The University Senate has voted to award degrees if exams aren't marked before graduation. Essentially this means if students have achieved over 70% of their CATS but are lacking some of the rest of the marks, they'll get their full degree based on the 70%. People with less than 70% of their CATS marked will get 'unclassified' degrees, which I take to mean are provisional, but subject to change when the exams are finally marked. This is the same system used when exams are missed due to illness.

I'd applaud the University for taking this rational step. They've effectively drawn the sting out of the tail so that if the AUT continue their strike for several weeks (as seems likely now), then students won't be adversely affected. I challenge the unions to oppose this! I'm sure they'll say that our degrees are being devalued, but the fact of the matter is that we still have to do all the work we would have done before, and our mark will be determined based on how well we've done.

Now the dispute can be settled with less haste and more realism. My suspicion is that the Unions were using the impending exams as a reason to settle soon, and on its terms. Now the University doesn't seem to have that hanging over its head quite so much, I'm sure the two sides will come to a reasonable offer.

And perhaps the Students Union will now see that the University has students' interests at heart (at least on this issue), while the AUT clearly doesn't.

: 18 May 2006 15:38 |  Tags: AUT Strike Exams Graduation Lecturer Strike Union University |  Comments (58) |  Close comments |  Report a problem