Protesting has always been a quintessential part of the university experience, fostering a forum for robust discourse and social change. However, when these demonstrations coincide with the examination season, it can pose significant academic challenges. That was recently highlighted at George Washington University (GW) Law School.
Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew of GW Law School announced, via a video message, a change of location for the law student’s final examinations. The move comes in response to an anti-war protest encampment established in University Yard. Though emphasizing that there’s no immediate threat to the students’ safety, the relocation is aimed at ensuring that exams are undertaken in a quiet and secure environment.
“A protest encampment has been set up at University Yard and because that encampment coincides with the final exam period for GW law students, we are taking steps to relocate student exams so that they can be taken in a quiet and secure location,” Dean Matthew stated. She added, “Now let me emphasize, there is nothing threatening your safety that is going on at this moment, but yet you are our primary concern. To protect your safety and the integrity of our academic program, we are relocating student final exams.”
The decision by the GW Law School administration underscores the importance universities place on maintaining an environment conducive to the academic success of their students, even in the face of social and political activism on campus.
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