The university says the 3+ system is bedding down ok and wants  feed-back to bed it down even better

DVC E Merlin Crossley tells the university community that after two-terms of the new system, course satisfaction has dropped by one or two per cent in “some but not all courses” and satisfaction with teaching, “has improved slightly”.  The university now uses three 10-week teaching terms, and an optional 5-week summer term.

This may not convince students who participated in June’s library lawn-packing protest, but Professor Crossley is not for turning and is pushing-on with fine-tuning.

Student representatives on a review committee have made ten recommendations. Seven are set for future examination and three are now being considered,

* extending the “flexibility week” now in place in Law, Art and Design, and “several schools”. Under the replaced calendar there were four courses in 12 weeks. Now three can be done in nine, leaving one week “for consolidation”

* reducing the “assessment burden” on staff and students. Academic Board is reviewing timing and types of assessments across each term

* better explanation of “special consideration” rules

Professor Crossley says overall the 3+ system “has already delivered significant improvements.”

“We are now using our campus for more of the year meaning that we have freed up about 12 percent of our teaching space. This allows us to better accommodate our students and to schedule fewer early morning and evening lectures.”