The members of the Academic Policy and Regulations Committee (APRC) have decided not to approve the new Exceptional Circumstances Policy.
The policy would have seen an overhaul of the university’s extensions system, including a standard three-day extension period across all schools and a maximum of three self-certifications of illness or circumstance per year.
In a statement, Edinburgh University Student Association (EUSA) announced: “We would like to thank the members of APRC who stood in solidarity with students and also spoke against approving this policy”.
“The committee did not formally vote as there was consensus that the policy should not be approved”.
Read More: EUSA VP Education to vote against changes to university extension policy : Proposed changes to the University’s extensions policy failsEUSA’s VP Education, Carl Harper and VP Welfare, Lauren Byrne both spoke against the policy to the APRC.
An open letter from EUSA also called on members of the APRC to vote against it.
Within the open letter, they described the policy as: “treating students like offenders determined to deceive the university for their own gain”.
“The lack of trust in its students creates a hostile and unwelcoming environment, while in reality, students are just trying to do their best in increasingly complex and challenging circumstances.”
The statement by EUSA following the decision acknowledged, however, that: “the current process for Special Circumstances and Extensions requires change”.
EUSA reiterated their: “willingness to Senior Leadership, members of APRC, and staff across the University to do what we set out to a year ago when the review of Special Circumstances and Extensions Policies began: to co-create a policy that works for both students and staff”.
Image Credit: “Old College Quadrangle, Edinburgh University” by dun_deagh is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.