To whom it may concern

The 2016 4th year Accounting Science class would like to express its discontent with the Accounting School’s failure to reconsider and appropriately adjust the examination dates.

As #Feesmusfall enters its fourth week, the protest action that has occurred in the fight for free, decolonised, quality education has had detrimental consequences on us as students and the academic programme in general. With a sense of normalcy failing to prevail, a wide variety of students are being disadvantaged if the current examination dates are not adjusted adequately.

Students who do not have access to textbooks, computers and various other resources require access to the University in order to study. With the university being shut down, sporadic bus services and safety concerns on campus over the last 4 weeks these students are directly disadvantaged by the failing to reconsider the exam dates. Progressive protest action in the form of #Feesmust fall on has meant that the environment for studying has not currently been a conducive one.

By failing to reconsider the exam dates, the accounting school is undermining the #Feesmustfall movement by assuming that the accounting school is functioning under normal conditions. We believe, as potential graduates, that there exists a social responsibility alongside an academic one hence the movement for free education cannot be overlooked by the Accounting School.

It must be noted that the exam timetable is further seen as problematic due to the short notice within which this decision was communicated. With Sakai been suspended over the past few days and an ineffective ‘email consultation’ attempt, it cannot be fair that we are made aware that the dates will not be changed only a week prior to the first exam. If this was communicated within a sufficient time period the discontent from us might have been avoided as students could have made alternate arrangements to ensure they are well prepared to write their exams.

We call on the University and the Accounting School to give us a fair opportunity at achieving academic success and graduating by reconsidering the exam timetable within reason. A 3 week extension of the exam dates will mean we have the opportunity to recover lost time, prepare adequately, and further represent Wits Universities exceptional standards by ensuring a high pass rate for all students in our final exams.

We hope the university acknowledges our claim for an extension and views it as a reasonable and just one.

Thank you.