(My University is getting hard on students. These are my thoughts on the matter).
Returning ARU students will have witnessed many changes to their University in the last few years. Although these changes have given the University a more professional edge there is a danger that they will not all be beneficial for students.
This year returning students in Cambridge may have noticed that there have been significant changes to the rules regarding the submission of assignments. Previously if students missed the 3pm deadline, then their essay would have received a LATE stamp and an automatic 10% deduction. Now students who miss the deadline, even by one minute, will receive an automatic mark of 0% for their work. Yes that’s right; hand in your essay at 3.01pm and you will receive a mark of 0% for all your hard work. Obviously the University wants all students to comply with the hand-in regulations, but surely these new rules are going a step too far?
Returning ARU students will have witnessed many changes to their University in the last few years. Although these changes have given the University a more professional edge there is a danger that they will not all be beneficial for students.
This year returning students in Cambridge may have noticed that there have been significant changes to the rules regarding the submission of assignments. Previously if students missed the 3pm deadline, then their essay would have received a LATE stamp and an automatic 10% deduction. Now students who miss the deadline, even by one minute, will receive an automatic mark of 0% for their work. Yes that’s right; hand in your essay at 3.01pm and you will receive a mark of 0% for all your hard work. Obviously the University wants all students to comply with the hand-in regulations, but surely these new rules are going a step too far?
If you walk around campus on an assignment hand-in day you will witness hundreds of students frantically trying to finish their work, struggling with those last 100 words and the temperamental nature of University printers. Go to the Student Information Centre and you will see students desperately trying to find module codes and completing their hand-in sheets in time. Clearly, the University wants to see the end of this hand-in day chaos, but knowing the nature of students it will be interesting to see the number who receive a 0% mark because they miss the deadline.
Another significant change to the rules and regulations at ARU is the new 15/30 curriculum, which has been backed by both students and staff alike and is now in force. However, this streamlining of subjects has meant that many degrees that final year students are taking will not be available to future new students. There have also been rumours about the restructuring of degrees. For example, it has been rumoured that the practical modules on some degrees may be moved to other degrees. Whilst these are rumours, it remains to be seen the full impact that this restructuring will have on student’s education.
It is clear that that the University is becoming more professional: streamlining degrees in an attempt to become a more efficient, cost-effective university. However, whilst many of these changes are welcome, there is a danger that they may have a negative impact on student’s education. The University is now being run more and more as a business, rather than a centre for learning. This may just be the hard facts of the modern education system, but it is important that the University takes into account the affect on student’s university life that any future changes may have.
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