Petition is successful with 1,218 signatures
To: Curtin University's Office of the Academic Registrar and the Faculty of Health Sciences
Open Letter to Reverse Curtin's Unfair Changes to Psychology Exams
The changes were overturned!
We, the undersigned, write to you regarding the recent and unexpected decision to change the format of Psychology students' exams midway through the semester. This change, from open-book, take-home exams to closed-book, invigilated exams, has caused significant distress and disruption for students, and we urgently call for the immediate reversal of this decision.
As many students are already acutely aware, the original exam format was a key part of the academic structure that influenced their decision to enrol at Curtin. For online students, in particular, this flexibility was a major factor in their choice to study here. Many students balance full-time employment with their studies, and the ability to complete open-book exams from home was essential for managing their work, academic and personal lives. Forcing students into closed-book, invigilated exams, particularly when these are not aligned with the original structure laid out in the Unit Outlines, places an additional financial and logistical burden on them.
Moreover, the introduction of additional revision sessions, presumably to accommodate the new exam format, is placing even more pressure on students. These sessions, while intended to assist with preparation, are adding an extra layer of workload and stress to students who were originally planning their semester around a more flexible assessment approach. Students are now required to attend additional revision sessions to maintain their grades, beyond what was initially advertised in the Unit Outlines. This is a substantial, unplanned burden that significantly disrupts the balance many students have worked hard to maintain between their academic responsibilities, work commitments, and personal lives.
The decision to change the exam format midway through the semester is not only unfair but also poor academic practice. This change requires students to adopt entirely new study techniques, note-taking systems, and exam strategies, all of which would have been developed in line with the original format. Expecting students to pivot suddenly, partway through this study period, is unrealistic and harmful. Such a drastic change undermines students' academic planning, and further disrupts their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Many students enrolled in good faith, fully understanding the advertised assessment format, and it is unreasonable to penalise students for an apparent oversight by the university in failing to communicate such significant changes earlier.
We, the undersigned, stand firmly with the Guild in asserting that this decision should never have been made. It is essential that any future changes to the structure or nature of exams, or any other assessment formats, be made with full consultation and input from students, and not in spite of them. Decisions of this scale cannot be imposed unilaterally, especially without considering the profound impact on students' health, academic performance and workload.
We urge you to reconsider this decision and, in the interest of fairness, revert to the original exam format for the remainder of the semester. We also call for an ongoing commitment to student consultation in any future decisions regarding assessment practices, ensuring that all changes are made transparently, with sufficient time for students to adapt, and with due regard for their needs.
Signed:
Dylan Storer, President of the Curtin Student Guild
Ben Burgess, Vice President Education of the Curtin Student Guild
Max Zhang, Guild Councillor of the Curtin Student Guild
Morgan Mills, Queer Officer of the Curtin Student Guild
Mitch Craig, Postgraduate Student Committee President of the Curtin Student Guild
ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS OPEN LETTER NOW!
Signed:
Dylan Storer, President of the Curtin Student Guild
Ben Burgess, Vice President Education of the Curtin Student Guild
Max Zhang, Guild Councillor of the Curtin Student Guild
Morgan Mills, Queer Officer of the Curtin Student Guild
Mitch Craig, Postgraduate Student Committee President of the Curtin Student Guild
ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS OPEN LETTER NOW!
Why is this important?
This issue matters because it strikes at the core of fairness, trust, and academic integrity at Curtin. Students enrolled this semester on the reasonable expectation, set out in their Unit Outlines, that the advertised assessment formats would apply. Changing the format mid-semester, especially from a flexible take-home model to a rigid closed-book, invigilated system, not only disrupts carefully planned study and work routines but also imposes new financial, logistical, and emotional burdens. It erodes confidence in Curtin’s commitment to transparency and student partnership, and sets a dangerous precedent where major academic changes can be imposed without proper notice or consultation. For the wellbeing and success of students, and the credibility of Curtin’s processes, this decision must be reversed.