AUT students seek legal advice over ‘unfair’ pharmacology paper

More than 100 Auckland University of Technology (AUT) students have lodged a complaint over a paper they say has “unfair examination processes” and alleges some staff at the university “made fun” of their plight.

The students filed an initial complaint with the AUT on April 9, signed by 131 students studying Pharmacology for Professional Practice 701.

The many students who spoke at the Herald did so anonymously because they feared their exam grades would be affected if they were named.

This document is a required part of several degrees, including Bachelor of Science, Advanced Science and Health Science, with specialties including nursing, midwifery, oral health, podiatry, physiotherapy and paramedical medicine.

The students challenged the delivery, assessment and guidance of the course in the complaint filed by the AUT Students’ Association (AUTSA) to the university.

“All of these students feel that they were unfairly tested on subjects that were not prevalent (sic) in their degrees, and unfairly graded on the answers given,” reads the complaint, seen by the Heraldsaid.

“Students no longer have confidence in teachers’ ability to provide clear guidance in assessing subjects… This has led to an environment of excessive stress and is putting some students’ success at risk. In addition, some scholarships and higher education opportunities are being threatened and, in some cases, lost.

The petition asked the university to conduct an independent review of the document and, in the meantime, to suspend examinations.

“It should also be noted that some students are upset enough to wish to drop the course and receive a refund of their fees,” the complaint states.

A student told the Herald their failure at the newspaper impacted their career, their degree and their mental health.

“I lost a scholarship that I had, which stunted my career progression…and delayed my graduation.”

The students claimed that “most” had failed the exam and were now waiting to find out if they had passed the test overall.

Students say they were told the names of medications would be on the exams, but that was not the case and the exams included scenario questions with unnamed medications.

Students said they felt like they were being treated like guinea pigs “with a poorly designed and delivered assessment.”

An AUT spokesperson said all students had been invited to a meeting on May 15 to share their concerns, and that approximately 120 students attended that meeting.

The spokesperson said the course had now been completed “following remedial work to address issues raised by students”.

They said all students were offered a second chance at the first assessment, with “the best result counting towards their final grade”.

The spokesperson said around 25 per cent of students on the course had also been given an extension to help them “manage health and wellbeing issues” and deadlines, and that additional tutoring and revision sessions had been arranged.

“AUT works hard to be student-centred, and we have apologised to students that their experience was not what they – or we – expected,” the spokesperson said.

The students told the Herald They disagreed with AUT’s statement that it had addressed students’ concerns.

One student said their concerns were not being taken seriously by AUT and a group of students were now receiving legal advice.

“We are sufficiently unhappy with their response that the students have now engaged legal counsel in anticipation of having to appeal the results and seek refunds.”

Another student said he felt professors had been unhelpful and condescending when students tried to seek help: “It feels like students were misled under the false pretense that AUT was providing a bona fide solution.”

– New Zealand Herald