Students Request to Retake Final Year

Students at the University of Cambridge have written an open letter to the pro-vice chancellor Graham Virgo warning management that remote learning could negatively impact academic performance and wellbeing.

The letter argues that without adequate resources at home, students will suffer and therefore they are asking to retake their final year.

The letter has been signed by more than 1,300 undergraduates and suggests a choice of scheduled paper exams or predicted marks based on supervision reports, as well as the option to restart the year in September or retake the Easter term in 2021.

The letter adds: "We do not want to feel compelled to make the difficult choice between our health and that of our loved ones and communities on the one hand, or our future careers on the other."

An update on the student's union website said: "We have stressed our opposition to assessments being carried out online in strict timed conditions and have urged the university to adopt as much flexibility as possible in developing these alternative arrangements."

This week Prof Toope announced that all examinations had been cancelled and urged international students to make immediate travel arrangements to return home.