UWI students outraged at the possibility of face-to-face exams
The looming possibility of the reinstitution of face-to-face examinations for semester one of the 2021/2022 academic year has left many students of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, in a state of outrage and worry.
The possibility of face-to-face exams was first introduced in an announcement issued by the university on 23 July 2021. The UWI, Mona Guild Council quickly acted against this proposition by contacting the relevant personnel and distributing a survey among the student population. The preliminary results of the survey revealed that 78 percent of students were against the reinstitution of face-to-face exams, citing reasons like the fear of contracting the Covid-19 virus, living abroad, upsurge in school expenses, among others.
The issue again resurfaced on 6 October 2021 in a memorandum, from the Campus Registrar Dr Donovan Stanberry, announcing the university’s intention to reinstitute face-to-face exams for final examinations which begin 6 December 2021. This memorandum did not explicitly outline the reasons for the shift. However, it pointed students to UWI’s Student Administration System (SAS) to select their preferred mode for examinations.
Guild President Danielle Mullings in an interview on a national radio talk show says a definitive decision will be made in the next meeting of the academic board on 21 October 2021. She added, “So far we’ve been told that they can’t speak to the COVID protocols right now and we should just be assured that they are going to follow it, but that is not enough for the Guild of students at this point in time.”
Jalon Welsh, a third-year accounting major at the UWI, Mona said, “I felt very angry and outraged! And, as a student and as a student leader, I thought that there was no proper execution or safety concerns in place for the students. So, I felt as if it was a health hazard and a full-on danger to anyone that had to do these face-to-face exams.”
Makayla McFarlane, a third-year marketing student says that when she received the advisory from the university, she was under the impression that the decision on Face-to-Face examinations was final. She says that this semester has been hard and that face-to-face examinations would negatively impact her grades.
Donrick Dixon, a second-year double major student said, “Considering the physical, mental and emotional pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, this might negatively affect my performance in face-to-face exams. As at the examination site, not only would I be anticipating what’s on the exam papers, I also would be concerned and worried about my environs, especially since I could get infected by persons with the virus who would be on the university campus. So, this additional burden may deteriorate my mental capacity and ultimately my performance level.”
Sherika Jolly, a third-year international relations student said, “It’s corona time! And is like UWI don’t care bout dem students!”
She added that when compared to her final grades from the face-to-face modality, her grades from online examinations were better because of the accessibility of recordings and course material throughout the semester.
