We, the undergraduate students of the practical course Theatre and Professional Practice at Coventry University, ask the University to extend the second semester till 1st of June 2021, thus replacing the practical teaching lost due to the extended duration of the government-mandated ban on face-to-face lessons on campus, as caused by circumstances relating to the deteriorating situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
The modules of the course, on which we are supposed to “learn skills of theatre making to help develop a strong portfolio of practice through the use of practical exercises”, are built upon foundations of practical work, physical collaboration and team work, thus requiring the physical presence of a group of students in class or independently, therefore meeting the conditions for full-fledged teaching. Practical workshops as well as rehearsals, which consist of the professional preparation of a theatrical performance subsequently presented to the public, cannot be completed online without losing the quality or the overall spirit of theatre and the course.
The solution proposed by the University (online teaching) does not suit us and is at the expense of our education to the point that the fundamental objectives and outcomes of the course, as specified and presented by the University, which were the reasons for our interest in it, are not being met. We are convinced that this transfer of hours to an online environment is not appropriate, even across the University, as it is causing a deep drop in student satisfaction, which was 98% in recent years.
We believe that the proposed solution - extending the end of the semester till 1 June 2021 allowing us to take exams by the end of May 2021, thus mitigating the lockdown period without any face-to-face teaching - will lead to us being able to receive the practical content that is so integral to our course and look to be able to perform theatre in front of a limited group of people. Therefore, we will no longer be inhibited from receiving the best content possible enabling us to create our strongest potential performances and in turn, upholding the name of the University to the best of our abilities.
Updates
January 9, 2021
The volume of support has secured us a formal meeting with the department leadership to discuss the extension. I am currently drafting the proposal outlining our requirements for the practical teaching hours we have lost.
3 Comments
Practical work is the whole point of this degree. We need the studio time or the degree is gonna be worthless when we graduate.
Extend it. Give us what we paid for. Cant do live theatre in a living room.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
We, the undergraduate students of the practical course Theatre and Professional Practice at Coventry University, ask the University to extend the second semester till 1st of June 2021, thus replacing the practical teaching lost due to the extended duration of the government-mandated ban on face-to-face lessons on campus, as caused by circumstances relating to the deteriorating situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
The modules of the course, on which we are supposed to “learn skills of theatre making to help develop a strong portfolio of practice through the use of practical exercises”, are built upon foundations of practical work, physical collaboration and team work, thus requiring the physical presence of a group of students in class or independently, therefore meeting the conditions for full-fledged teaching. Practical workshops as well as rehearsals, which consist of the professional preparation of a theatrical performance subsequently presented to the public, cannot be completed online without losing the quality or the overall spirit of theatre and the course.
The solution proposed by the University (online teaching) does not suit us and is at the expense of our education to the point that the fundamental objectives and outcomes of the course, as specified and presented by the University, which were the reasons for our interest in it, are not being met. We are convinced that this transfer of hours to an online environment is not appropriate, even across the University, as it is causing a deep drop in student satisfaction, which was 98% in recent years.
We believe that the proposed solution - extending the end of the semester till 1 June 2021 allowing us to take exams by the end of May 2021, thus mitigating the lockdown period without any face-to-face teaching - will lead to us being able to receive the practical content that is so integral to our course and look to be able to perform theatre in front of a limited group of people. Therefore, we will no longer be inhibited from receiving the best content possible enabling us to create our strongest potential performances and in turn, upholding the name of the University to the best of our abilities.
Updates
January 9, 2021
The volume of support has secured us a formal meeting with the department leadership to discuss the extension. I am currently drafting the proposal outlining our requirements for the practical teaching hours we have lost.
3 Comments
How am i supposed to learn stagecraft over zoom? This is a joke. We are paying full tuition for a screen experience that just doesnt work for theatre.
Practical work is the whole point of this degree. We need the studio time or the degree is gonna be worthless when we graduate.
Extend it. Give us what we paid for. Cant do live theatre in a living room.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 50 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
How am i supposed to learn stagecraft over zoom? This is a joke. We are paying full tuition for a screen experience that just doesnt work for theatre.