Sheffield Hallam University adopts 'no detriment' approach to summer grades – but students are not happy

The ‘no detriment’ approach introduced by Sheffield Hallam University for summer grades and assessments have been criticised for not going far enough to help students.
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Sheffield Hallam students have expressed their frustration over contingency plan’s for this year’s assignments and exams following an update shared by the university on its Facebook page on April 2.

The university said it would be adopting a ‘no detriment’ approach to make sure that “no one is disadvantaged by the current situation” – but students say this move does not go far enough.

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It comes after a petition was launched calling on the university to introduce a ‘no detriment’ policy – a ‘safety net’ to ensure students obtain at least their average grade so far in the year or better grade depending on results of summer exams or assignments – following teaching disruption caused by a combination of University and College Union (UCU) strike action and Covid-19.

One student said: “When I read this, I was so excited by the prospect of a ‘no detriment’ policy! But now I see you’re just twisting words to make the already rubbish policy sound better. This gave me false hope. Shame on you.

“Extensions can be helpful to some, but what we need is some comfort about our overall grade, tensions are higher than ever, and we can not be expected to perform to the best of our abilities under these circumstances.

“Our situation is not going to change within a matter of weeks, therefore, we need something to help us in the position we are currently in, not just pushing it back and causing more stress and anxiety for the students. Stop twisting words and do something about it!”

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Another added: “As the current mature student rep, I can confirm this is NOT the no detriment policy students have asked for!

“We are still fighting for it, no one yet has any idea fully what the Hallam ‘no detriment’ policy will look like as we are a very different university to the University of Sheffield - please just bear with us we are working as hard as we can to get this sorted for you and we will ensure when a decision is reached it is effectively communicated to all students.”

Others called on Sheffield Hallam to follow in the footsteps of The University of Sheffield, which recently implemented a ‘safety net’ policy meaning that no student who passes the year will receive an average mark or overall degree class lower than their current overall mark.

The University of Sheffield joined other institutions, such as the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Exeter, which have already taken this step so that students’ grades will not be negatively impacted by any exams or assignments taken during the Covid-19 outbreak providing a pass grade is achieved.

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A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson said: “We understand and recognise the impact that Covid-19 is having on our university community, therefore we are committed to ensuring there is no detriment to our students’ learning, how they are assessed, and their results, as a result of restrictions arising from Covid-19.

“Assessments are complex, but we have made the decision that all students on a foundation year or in their first year of degrees will automatically progress to the next level of study, and we have introduced a range of support measures on assignments and exams for students at other levels.

“A detailed update has been issued to students this week and the latest information on assessments and exams can be found on our dedicated coronavirus pages on the university’s website.”