Passed: November 2022 (29th)

What do you want/Why do you want it?

Right now, disabled students get exam access arrangements through disability services, but these are based only on written exams. The onus is completely on students to individually set up their own access arrangements for verbal based exams with teaching staff, and for those teaching staff to follow through. Ultimately, this usually ends with the student being sent on a wild goose chase between various staff members, which adds to exam stress. This also creates a fundamental difficulty as staff may be unequipped to deal with what is or is not a reasonable adjustment.

This proposal states that all faculties and/or schools should be instructed to revise their exam guidance and processes. Obviously different schools have different needs, but I am adding what I think should be the main points of change:

1. Entirely scrap any reference to 'maintaining good eye contact'. It is ableist for disabled students to be graded on something they just cannot do. This particularly effects autistic students, along with students with mental health difficulties like anxiety. This could be either entirely removed, or replaced with something more along the lines of 'audience engagement' 

2. Make access arrangements a clear part of exam policy so that everyone's on the same page. This could mean extra time, altering the way questions are asked, extra word allowance (if a script/memo can be used), one on one assessment rather than presenting to a crowd, etc. etc.  

I have brought this up in the past, and had staff members largely agree with me, but nothing is done about it due to the vague promise of future curriculum changes. However, these changes are planned to run over the next decade. Students are facing unfair assessments right NOW. I therefore want there to be a formal policy so that there's extra pressure to act.