The Letterkenny Institute of Technology has reached an agreement with the college’s student union after a stand-off over exams.
The college had deferred all in-person exams due to begin last week, but students were left with serious concerns when it emerged that management had no plans to move exams online.
This followed advice from the Department of Further and Higher Education.
Instead, students were given two options – to sit the exams in person in a week’s time, or to sit both semester one and semester two exams in May.
LYIT Students’ Union campaigned for online exams and more continuous assessment.
Student representatives met with college senior management last week to bring forward students’ concerns about the risks of in-person exams.
Now an agreement has been reached which will see an assessment of deferred winter exams while in-person exams will take place in pods.
The following is a statement issued jointly this evening by LYIT President Paul Hannigan and LYIT Students’ Union President Adam O’Flaherty.
It says “Following discussions between LYIT Management and the Students’ Union, it has now been agreed that assessment of the deferred winter examinations will take place over a two week period from 24 January to 4 February.
“Opportunities for alternative assessment, if feasible, will be considered by programme boards.
“Rescheduled in-person exams will take place in pods, with no mixing of classes/groups that have not been taught together.
“Any student unable to sit exams due to contracting Covid-19 or being a close contact will be allowed to take the repeat exam as a first sitting and no repeat exam fees will apply. In-person teaching will recommence on campus on Monday 7th February.”
