Students at Glasgow Caledonian University have successfully campaigned to reverse a proposal by their institution to introduce £40 charges for students to re-sit exams and increase fees for students re-sitting modules to £300.

The campaign, backed by the University’s trade unions, was launched after senior management proposed changes to its Fees and Refund Policy.

The Glasgow Caledonian Students’ Association challenged these proposals by lobbying members of the University’s executive board and signing up students to a "No Resit Fees Petition".

Student concerns were presented to the University Principal and discussed at an Executive Board meeting, at which the management ruled that there would be no changes to current arrangements.

The University has also committed to a review of the academic support available to students that have to re-sit exams and modules.
 
Matte Andrews, President of Glasgow Caledonian University Students’ Association, said: “We welcome the University’s decision to re-consider its proposals to charge students to repeat exams and modules. By listening to the hundreds of students who signed the petition, the University has hopefully learned that it must consult with students before making these types of decisions. I sincerely hope that this issue will not be raised again.

“Introducing new fees for exam resits and raising others for module resits, at a time when students are preparing for exams, creates unnecessary stress when the pressure to pass exams and courses is already high. This is doubly so for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds, who are already struggling to pay their bills and succeed in the classroom.

“Providing additional support, rather than punishing students financially, is the way the University should be trying to reduce the amount of re-sits. We are looking forward to contributing to the review on support provision for re-sitting students and will continue to monitor the university fees policy to ensure that the best interests of students are considered if any further changes are proposed.”

Robin Parker, NUS Scotland President, said: “Congratulations to students and the students’ association at Glasgow Caledonian for reversing this decision to increase fees.

“Their successful work in getting the university to back down over the introduction of fees is a lesson and a warning for universities across Scotland that the quiet introduction of fees and hidden course costs will not be met with silence. NUS UK has won an agreement from Universities UK that all principals will come clean on what hidden course costs students face. Scotland has set out a clear message that we will not put-up with financial barriers to education, and principals now need to do their bit."