40

of 100 signatures

To University of Nottingham

Petition text

14 July 2021

Dear Dr. John Atherton, Dr. Gill Doody, and all members of staff:

Following the email dated 02/06/21, detailing the plans for the 2021/2022 academic year, there was much concern within the GEM cohort over the Department’s approach to our learning. Whilst a Town Hall meeting was arranged, it did little to appease the students, sparking more questions and concerns. As student representatives, it is our role to speak out on such issues; we have been asked to take this matter forward, and to address the ongoing issues in the following letter.

The timing of this letter coincides with the guidance given by the central university on 15/07/2, outlining plans for the next academic year. It states that societies and sporting events will be able to resume, as well as all other teaching activities apart from large lectures. There was no reference to social distancing being in place within university buildings, or limits on student numbers in learning spaces. As raised in the Town Hall, students are confused as to how social events can be resumed but activities critical to our learning such as PBL are to remain online.

It has been stated numerous times by the University and the Government that Medicine is a unique course, and would always be given special consideration due to the nature of the course. Students underwent weekly testing, as well as becoming fully vaccinated, to promote more in-person teaching opportunities. Therefore, it is unclear as to why this has not been taken into consideration when preparing for the next academic year. University guidelines state that as of August 16th, contacts of those who test positive for coronavirus do not need to isolate if they are fully vaccinated, which the entire cohort is. It appears medical students are not being valued, and whilst other courses are progressing with more in-person teaching, the Graduate Medical course has come to a standstill.

Many students are struggling with the online format, both physically and mentally. On one hand, not all students can afford new technological devices, and struggle communicating and studying solely on them. Whilst other universities across the country have compensated for this by providing free devices, Nottingham has not done so for its students, expecting them to keep up with the every-amounting costs. Furthermore, students have indicated a decline in their health due to online learning. To start a medical degree during a pandemic is an extremely stressful experience, but one that students have coped with remarkably well this year. However, learning that the online experience will be repeated next year, whilst the rest of the country, including other medical schools, begin to open and move forward, is extremely disheartening. Most students in the cohort do not know one another, which has led to several disputes throughout the year. For those that live alone, the 2020/2021 academic year has been tough, with minimal interaction. To reiterate an earlier point, why can students participate in clubs and societies but cannot meet their fellow peers in-person? Medicine is an extremely difficult course, and support is key to overcoming the challenges it presents. Unfortunately, given the Department’s restrictions, many students are not able to build support networks, which not only affects their personal wellbeing, but also their professional skills.

It must be stated at this point that the use of “blending learning” has been grossly misused throughout the previous academic year. Blended learning refers to online resources supporting in-person, or live demonstrations; in no way are they a substitute. Unfortunately, apart from one day of Clinical Skills training, and the one-per-module anatomy session, students are completely dependent on online resources. These include asynchronous lecture recordings, instead of live lectures which other courses, including undergraduate medicine, still have the luxury of attending synchronous lectures online. It cannot be expected that students go from an online-based course, with minimal in-person interaction, to clinical placement; it begs the question of how it is safe to be on the wards but not in a controlled learning environment.

One concerning point highlighted was the declining pass rate, particularly in the cohort that has recently progressed from GEM2. One-third of students failed their end of term exam, a significant statistic. It has been implied that there was a “failure to learn” which ignores a pressing concern. Many students feel out of their depth, and unprepared for the next phase of this course. While the content of course materials may have remained the same, the entire context of learning including, but not limited to, the asynchronous structure, the lack of social support and the inability to study in groups has been ignored.

It has reached the point where students are reluctant to pay tuition fees. Most students pay £5,000-8,000 per year to be based in the Nottingham/Derbyshire area. It feels out of proportion to pay an additional £9,250 to listen to lecture recordings and self-learn from home. It was unfair to tell students at the end of June that teaching would mostly be online-based, after accommodation for September had already been organized by most students. Furthermore, the news came during a stressful exam period, which increased feelings that there is a lack of insight into the lives of most students. It was stated during the Town Hall that plans for the 2021/2022 academic year had to be planned months in advance, yet this was contradicted when it was also stated that such plans had not been finalized until recently. If the Department knew the outline for the next academic year months in advance, why were students only informed in June? On the other hand, if plans were not finalized until later in the year, why did the Department not adjust to the current climate?

We would like to acknowledge the focus group that was arranged by Alistair Warren, Amanda Collett and Sukhy Thandi which provided a much appreciated platform for students to provide feedback directly to staff about their experiences this academic year. While it was not possible to cover all areas that we had hoped to, we were pleased to receive clear communication following that meeting regarding the actions that will be taken moving forward to respond to the feedback. We hope that this standard for listening and communicating with students will be upheld across the Medical School going forward.

To conclude, there is growing discontent within the GEM cohort with regards to plans for the 2021/2022 academic year. Whilst the students greatly appreciate the efforts made by staff this academic year to cope with the climate, students would like to see a progression towards in-person teaching. We hope this letter sparks a conversation of change and a re-evaluation of future plans. The student experience is at the heart of the University, and unfortunately many are not satisfied with their experience. We hope that this can be rectified, working together to find a solution that appeals to all parties. We thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Heather Gunn
Education Rep for Pre-Clinical Medicine

Donatella (Dana) Rinaldi
GEM1 Course Representative

Tanner Gibbins-Klein
GEM1 Course Representative

Josh Eynon
GEM1 Course Representative

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John.Carr-Murrell@Ntlworld.Com

Nottingham GEM Cohort - Re-evaluate 2021/22 Plans

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