Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
461. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has spoken to the governing authority of University College Dublin on an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44221/20]
View answerUniversity College Dublin is an autonomous institution within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and is therefore academically independent and entitled to regulate its own academic affairs, including in relation to its assessment processes and policies. It is not within my remit to intervene in such matters and I have not spoken to the UCD governing authorities on this matter.
However I understand the challenging and stressful circumstances that students faced this year were taken into account in the design and marking of revised assessments. Institutions took measures to ensure that students suffer no academic disadvantage, with flexible arrangements in relation to exam formats, marking and re-sits. At the same time, higher education institutions had to ensure that the assessment methods being used would satisfy the requirements of professional or accrediting bodies, and external examiners, so that the integrity of the assessment process will not be compromised, thus maintaining confidence and transparency in the quality of the qualifications awarded.
