Students at the University of Washington are demanding that black students should not face difficult exams and time constraints because they are too “busy fighting for [their] rights to sit down and study”.

And the university thinks it is a good idea: It is currently advising professors to pass black students on the basis of race after an online petition gathered more than 26 000 signatures.

“You need to encourage and demand professors to accommodate their black students during this time. If UW truly understands our pain, UW will be a part of alleviating it,” the petition states.

Nicole McNichols, UW Psychology Professor told Campus Reform that she supported the move. “Obviously, I support the petition and absolutely believe the accommodations it requests should be honored by all faculty. Students need all of the support and compassion we can afford to give them right now.”

The email sent by McNichols to her students reads: “First, the remaining homework chapters are being put into review mode. Everyone will receive full points. Second, I have decided to drop everyone’s lowest exam score. This means that you may opt-out of taking Exam 3 if you just don’t feel up to it, (or if you [are] happy with your scores from exam 1 and 2).”

UW Senior Director of Media Relations Victor Balta said that all staff were asked “to consider that while we are together as a community, some are being affected more than others”.

freewestmedia.com/2020/06/05/university-agrees-that-black-students-should-graded-differently/