In February, Cara collated all the feedback on the No Disadvantage Guarantee from Reps, ROS, direct messages, emails, and our Big Student Survey. She passed it all on to the DVC Education and the Academic Dean for Students, highlighting students’ lack of trust in the institution to protect their outcomes, and the need for students to feel more control over their futures. 

On 24 February, Cara, Jack (UG Education Officer), and Marz (PG Education Officer), alongside some other Exeter and Falmouth University students/reps, attended a meeting with Michelle Donelan, Minister of State for Universities, where they questioned her on a number of things, including the lack of a nationwide No Detriment Policy (especially considering the nationwide allowances that have been made for GCSE and A-Level students this year). Ms Donelan responded that, while the Government would not mandate universities on this matter, they expected universities to understand the challenges facing students and help mitigate these – she would continue to reiterate this if necessary. 

Finally, following feedback from student representatives, Tim Quine, DVC Education, agreed to hold a live Q&A event with students to answer questions and address concerns around the No Disadvantage Guarantee. Cara co-chaired this event on 25 February and posed questions from students around how “scaling” would work in practice, how the policies affected PGT students, and when details of the policy will be finalised. Tim Quine has produced a video of him explaining the No Disadvantage Guarantee and why he believes it is robust enough to support students this year. If you still have questions, or missed the event on the 25th, please watch this video and/or get in touch with Cara so she can pass them on.