Summary:

This motion advances the education of Joint Honours students at the University of Bristol by ensuring equitable academic support, fair assessment and timetabling practices, and improved representation. It promotes their welfare by addressing systemic disparities and ensures the SU continues to be an effective channel between students and the University.

Background:

1. Joint Honours students at the University of Bristol often study across two different schools yet are treated as belonging to only one "owning" school.
2. The current structure frequently leads to inconsistent academic support, lack of representation across both schools, clashes in timetabling, and increased academic burden.
3. Joint Honours students have reported issues including unreasonable exam scheduling, lack of coherent personal tutoring, and being excluded from School Academic Representation Forums of their secondary school of study.

Purpose:

1. To advance the education and welfare of Joint Honours students by ensuring equal support from both of their academic schools.
2. To promote fair academic treatment for Joint Honours students in line with their single-honours peers through parity in assessment and timetable design.
3. To enhance student voice by ensuring proper representation in School Academic Representation Forums and access to personal tutors in both schools.

Actions:

1. Bristol SU to lobby the University to revise policy such that Joint Honours programmes are jointly owned by both relevant schools instead of being tied to a single "owning school".
2. Bristol SU to lobby for Joint Honours course representatives to be invited and encouraged to attend School Academic Representation Forums in both schools their course falls under.
3. Bristol SU to advocate for Joint Honours students to have access to personal tutors in both of their schools to ensure full academic and pastoral support.
4. Bristol SU to lobby the University to ensure fairer exam timetabling and coursework balance for Joint Honours students—equivalent to their single-honours peers—with reasonable adjustments where parity is not possible.
5. Bristol SU to campaign for Joint Honours teaching timetables to reflect the structure and coherence of single-honours programmes to prevent overload and scheduling clashes.