UCD to abolish passing by compensation

University College Dublin plans to end the practice of students passing modules by compensation from September 2013.

At present, UCD students who fail a module with an E grade but have achieved an overall grade point average (GPA) equal to or above 2.0 can compensate to pass the module. Once the changes are implemented, students who achieve lower than a D grade in any module will have to repeat or resit the module, regardless of their GPA.

According to UCD Students Union Education Officer, Shane Comer, the changes will be phased in with minimal interruption or confusion to students.

It was decided to phase in the changes by module level rather than by year group as the latter could lead to a situation where two students taking the same module are assessed differently. Comer said: “There could be two students in a module and one can compensate while the other can’t, so that’s why they’re doing it by levels”.

From September 2013, therefore, modules at level zero, one, four and five will no longer be compensable. Level two modules will be incorporated from September 2014, while level three modules will be incorporated from September 2015, completing the phasing-in process.

DCU Students’ Union Education Officer, Aaron Clogher told The College View he has heard of no plans to bring in any proposal similar to this in DCU.

However, if such proposals were to come into place in DCU in future, he would “rather see new regulations phased in over a couple of years, so as to only affect students who could be made fully aware that this would be in place for their entire degree, unlike in UCD where they have been proposed for first and final year students from the beginning”.

UCD will be the first of Ireland’s seven universities to abolish compensation across the board.

Sarah Bermingham