AFIS Results Delay Adds to Semesterisation Woes
Following a disagreement between the Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems (AFIS) and the Exams Office in UCC, term one results for students taking modules offered by the AFIS Department were released on February 13th, one week after the results for all other UCC students were released.The delay in providing students with their grades is the latest in a line of teething problems related to the introduction of semesterisation.The AFIS difficulties stemmed from a dispute over the release of provisional results which would then not be reviewed by an exam board for five months. Professor Ciaran Murphy, Head of the AFIS Department, argued that such a system was unfair to students and delayed the release of results to allow AFIS exams to be assessed by an external board.
"The marks will still be reviewed by a UCC Exams Board after the conclusion of the summer exams, meaning students’ grades could still change."
In an email to students impacted by the decision, Murphy stated: “This decision has been taken to avoid the possibility that students are placed in a stressful situation by receiving adverse marks in semester one, where these marks would end up being revised upward at the summer board.“Thus, the view was taken that full semesterisation, where performance is measured accurately and definitely in each semester, is the best route to take for the students of the Department. This means that the marks returned by the AFIS department for your semester one exams will be final marks – not subject to any further change.”However, despite AFIS’s own external body approving the results, the marks will still be reviewed by a UCC Exams Board after the conclusion of the summer exams, meaning students’ grades could still change.UCCSU President Mark Stanton criticised those involved for failing to resolve the argument on time, stating that: “The university and the department both knew the problem was looming and the communication didn't seem to happen until it was too late.“The results the students were given today are still provisional. It's another example of semesterisation not being communicated properly throughout the university.”A request for comment from the Office of the Registrar and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs was not returned at the time of print.
“The results the students were given today are still provisional. It's another example of semesterisation not being communicated properly throughout the university.”
The delay in AFIS results is the latest in a series of moves which have been criticised by students, with the English Department notably holding their exams in-class, prior to the December study week, which raised its own issues.In addition to the dispute over the AFIS Department results, the English and Commerce Departments have been the targets of criticism over the new system.After an end of year in-class test for a module entitled ‘20th Century American Literature’ was shortened by 10 minutes, a decision was made to award students an additional 5% bonus on their grade. Head of the English Department, Professor Claire Connolly, stated that the shortening of the exam occurred “due to a previous lecturer and class failing to leave the room in good time.”Connolly reiterated that, “The School has had no serious problems with semesterisation, which was introduced in a timely and efficient manner.”A number of English Department assignments were then set for December deadlines, which has also come in for criticism among students who were sitting exams in other subjects.Meanwhile, following complaints over the delivery of a Business Systems Analysis and Design module, 2nd year commerce students were informed that they would not be required to sit the Christmas assessment and could instead take a replacement module in term two.However, on January 12th an email from Dr. Noel Woods, Director of the Commerce degree, told students that the Exams Office had informed Woods that IS2200 was a core module and arrangements would have to be made for the module to be re-examined after semester two. 47 students did not sit the exam as a result of the miscommunication.On the introduction of the new system, Woods said “As regards semesterisation, the transition is tough for both academic staff, the Exams Office and for students. Semester one is particularly tough for final year students but Semester two should be easier. So the jury is out.”Speaking generally about student engagement during the implementation of semesterisation, Professor John O’Halloran, Vice-President for Teaching and Learning, noted that: “All of the first years I have met thought it was fantastic. For those that are in second, third and fourth year, there’s a mixed experience.”
“As regards semesterisation, the transition is tough for both academic staff, the Exams Office and for students."
Dr. Ian Pickup, Head of the Student Experience, sees students adapting to the changes, taking more of a leadership role with the sit-in protests in the Boole Library in December and with societies holding more events than previously, but frontloading their term one activities in September and October.He also acknowledged; “There’s been some increased levels of anxiety around the additional examination period and that’s something that our support services are there to try to cater for.“Overall, in terms of academic engagement, there’s been some really positive things.”
