Friday November 13, 2020

To Whom It May Concern:

Please allow this petition to serve as a disapproval of the current exam policy instituted in the Nursing program at CUNY Kingsborough Community College on behalf of the entire student body. We understand that the challenges of COVID-19 have lead to changes within the department. It is essential that you maintain and uphold a high standard of education to further promote the success of the students in the nursing field and throughout their career. However, the current exam policy is having a detrimental impact on students, as we deem that it is unfair that we cannot review our exam results, and challenge questions that conflict with our teaching, and learning from required text.

Many of the students here at Kingsborough are committing copious amounts of hours to their studies, and managing the challenges of the pandemic simultaneously. However, we have come to realize that certain test results have been a poor reflection of this time and effort. Students are always looking to improve their grades throughout the semesters, however without a full view of the errors we may have made, we cannot improve in those areas moving forward. This becomes a strain on the student’s mental framework, and also affects our grades and psychological well-being.

In addition to the aforementioned matters, there have been student complaints regarding the black board software, with incorrect answers registering if the student scrolls before submitting the answer, and many students have had issues with answers not being saved before moving onto a following question. Without the ability to review our responses, we will never have a true fair chance of having a flawless grading system.

What we as the student body is asking for is clear. We need to be able to review our exams, whether one on one with our professors or as a whole. We need to be given time to review our questions, and bring up any inconsistencies with our teaching / text material to the exam committee, and have a fair opportunity to voice our concerns. Many of us are pursuing further degrees post Kingsborough, and the GPA impact can be a determining factor as to which programs we are admitted to. Furthermore, all students would like to complete the program in good academic standing. We do understand the challenges you face to maintain the accreditation of the program with online teaching, and we hope that we can resolve this manner on a local level.

Sincerely,

The Student Body at KBCC Nursing Program