Waterford Institute of Technology want to assure repeat students that may not be in a position to sit on-campus exams that they will be accommodated.
Repeat examinations at WIT are due to begin on Monday August 17th, with the college taking the decision for semester one repeat examinations to be conducted onsite.
The exams held on-campus will be held in the same format as the semester one exams.
Speaking to Beat News, WIT Students Union Officer for Education Rhiannon Kavanagh said the decision has caused some concern among students.
She said: "When the decision was made a couple of months ago to hold them the same, it was made to make sure no student was at any disadvantage and to mirror how the original exams were originally set.
"As time has gone on, holding the exam on-campus has become a worry for students and we have heard a lot of queries and concerns from students based on that which is totally valid.
"A lot of students are in positions where they're vulnerable, or they're living with vulnerable family members or in some cases it may not be an option of where they're living or public transport. That is the feedback we've gotten and we've raised that with the institute on a number of occasions. "
However Kavanagh says holding the exams online wasn't an option, she said: "We did raise the matter of online exams with them but because of academic quality and the papers originally being written to be unseen papers it wasn't possible to upload them online which is why they have had to go ahead in person."
The college says students should follow all National Public Health Guidelines when deciding whether they should take the exam such as travel restrictions, protecting vulnerable people etc.
In a statement Waterford Institute of Technology said: "The Institute would like to clarify that it has advised all students scheduled for repeat semester 1 examinations that where the student is unable to attend they will be accommodated through an appropriate mitigation that will ensure students are not unduly impacted.
"The Academic Council will meet to decide what actions will be implemented in that regard in September.
Explaining why they made the decision to continue with on-campus examinations they said: "The on-campus exams are an opportunity for those who wish to take an assessment in the format and structure for which they have been prepared.
"The Academic Council will apply appropriate mitigation to students who cannot avail of this opportunity and it is our intention that all students will be given the best opportunities to progress in their career without hindrance from Covid-19."
Rhiannon Kavanagh from WIT Students Union says the mitigation is there for any student who might feel uncomfortable coming on-campus.
"This extra mitigation has been put in place for any student that is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and if any student doesn't feel comfortable coming on-campus to complete their exams they will be mitigated as a result of that."
Students who are unable to sit the exam are being advised to apply for mitigation by filling out the following form: https://www.wit.ie/current_students/student_affairs/mitigating-circumstances
You can find more information on: https://www.wit.ie/news/all_news/important-clarification-to-students-about-repeat-exams
