Advocacy win – ‘no-disadvantage’ WAM policy
12 August 2020
GSA welcomes the University’s decision today to extend the ‘no-disadvantage’ Weighted Average Mark (WAM) policy to winter and Semester 2 subjects as was recommended by GSA. This announcement will no doubt be a relief for so many students as they face the increased pressures of the current situation.
This policy means that only grades higher than a student’s average will be included in their WAM calculation. This is an important policy change which will enable students to progress in their studies this semester.
We appreciate the time and consideration the University has put into this announcement particularly with regard to the student feedback taken on board from GSA and our colleagues at UMSU and UMSU International. GSA’s successful advocacy on this important issue was led by the GSA Representation Team who ran student surveys, conducted research and prepared advice on the impact of extending the no-disadvantage WAM policy.
We will continue advocating for broader supports for students at this time. We also commit to listen to student experiences with this policy and its implementation, as well as exploring closely connected issues such as quality education and employability outcomes.
If you would like to report other issues impacting graduate students due to the online learning environment, please let us know at: https://gsa.unimelb.edu.au/representation/campaigns/tell-us-covid-19-affecting/
For further information on this campaign, please contact the GSA Representation Team: representation@gsa.unimelb.edu.au