François Germinet, president of Cergy-Paris Université (Val d’Oise), confirmed Wednesday, November 28 the establishment of substitution tests by universities for students affected by Covid-19 who will not be able to pass their exams at the beginning of the year. The Minister of Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal, indicated this Wednesday morning on franceinfo that the partials would take place face-to-face, but that postponements were possible.“We are expecting in the coming days a circular which will clarify” under which criteria the tests will be postponed, explained François Germinet.
Franceinfo: Is it good news to hold exams face-to-face?
It is a question of the quality of the evaluation. It is also a question of fairness. All students do not have exactly the same conditions for taking exams at home, the same Internet connections, the same peace of mind. Not everyone has their own room, etc. So being able to take face-to-face exams is a guarantee of quality for all university presidents. It is also a positive element for the masters which will have to be prepared afterwards.
Will students infected with Covid-19 who cannot come and take their exams next week or the week after they have to take them again in June?
Universities are required to organize so-called substitution tests, that is to say in addition to the usual exams and remedial sessions. If we see for example that in a promotion, there were a lot of positive students who were not able to come to compose, then we can propose in the wake, that is to say in January or February, an additional test which does not cancel the continuous assessment.
Is it only if a big chunk of the promotion has Covid-19? What will the threshold be?
This is what the department is asking us to do. We are expecting a circular in the coming days which will clarify the ministry’s request in relation to this type of question. What is certain is that the exams which are scheduled for next week face-to-face, unless there is an exceptional counter-order from a particular university, will go well face-to-face.
What do you say to students who fear having the double penalty: having the Covid-19 and being forced to retake their exams during the catch-ups in June?
There will be a substitution session. Universities are responsible. They want their students to be successful and they don’t want to put their students in trouble anyway. What needs to be done will be done, including in terms of substitution. In my own university, this is what we will do if we observe difficult cases from time to time.