Programmes decide for themselves what to do with students who miss exams due to corona

On December 17, the exams begin. Now that the coronavirus is spreading again more and more, the question is what happens to students who cannot take their exams because of quarantine, for example.

The UvA believes that the study programs must decide this for themselves. ‘For an organization as large as the UvA, tailor-made decisions are necessary’, writes the UvA on its website. Students will receive an email from their program explaining what happens if they miss an exam because of the coronavirus.

According to the UvA, a retake can always be used. But, the university promises, faculties and exam committees will make ‘maximum efforts’ in the coming period to find the best solution if students miss their exams due to corona. It is not clear if a student who fails his retake, gets another chance to pass his or her exam.

With this, the UvA does not seem to meet a wish of the Central Student Council (CSR). The latter wanted exams to be offered both offline and online, so that students can choose whether to take an exam at home or on campus. ‘We want students to have a safe Christmas and a healthy start to the new year’, CSR-chair Manish Jhinkoe-Rai told Folia last week.

The CSR was concerned after it became known last week that at the VU positive tested students still came to exams and work seminars because of the strict attendance obligation. The council wanted to prevent such a situation at the UvA. 'We don't want students to feel mental pressure to have to come to campus’, Jhinkoe-Rai said.

The UvA will take a number of extra safety measures. Based on experiences with previous exams, the UvA will check whether people keep enough distance when entering and leaving the examination rooms. There will also be more frequent and extensive cleaning. Students are asked to do a self-test before an exam and to wear a mouth mask when moving around.