There is a multitude of problems with the system at RSU, and in this blog post I will touch on a few, focusing a bit on a recent change in the retake system, which all of us were blindsided by. Take everything I say with a grain of salt, since I don't know exactly what has gone down and how. This post is mainly for me to write down thoughts of many RSU students.
A bit of backstory
Before last autumn, every student had three attempts for colloquiums and two attempts for exams. This was stated in the study contract each of us signed.
But last spring the RSU administration let us know of an upcoming change: the 3rd retake would be removed for colloquiums, and second retake for exams. All the information about this was extremely unclear. RSU only communicated with the Latvian student parliament, who in turn had difficulties communicating with the international student association (ISA). The whole situation was unfolding in a confusing and unprofessional way. The students were left speculating what would come of the decision. We were all confused, since our study contract stated we would have three attempts for colloquiums, and two attempts for exams. How could they change this in the middle of our studies?
Then it came to light that the student parliament has a veto right. AKA they can veto one change the RSU administration brings a year. But let me make it clear: only the Latvian student parliament has a veto right. They are free to make their decisions without consulting the international side, even if the choice will affect international students.
The whole situation with the retake change is very confusing. No one really knows what exactly happened. But it went something like this:
The international students were sent a Google Forms, where we could express our opinions about the change. One of the questions asked, whether we would prefer the third retake to be paid or removed altogether.
The Latvian student parliament started discussions with the RSU administration. I don't know exactly what happened, but the option of the retake being paid was brought to the table. The student parliament informed the RSU administration that they would be using the veto on the choice if they choose to take it forward. The RSU administration then stated that if they do, they would simply just go back to the original plan of removing the retake. (I don't know exactly how these conversations have gone, who has said exactly what, so don't quote me on this) So the third retake was made paid.
The problem:
In practice, this situation has led some to question the functional power of the veto right. If a veto can be bypassed by simply reverting to an even less favorable option, it creates a 'choice' that feels more like an ultimatum than a negotiation. It raises a serious question: Do we students have any power, if we still must choose between two versions of the same outcome?
I don't know exactly how this system works, since I'm not part of ISA, and ISA is not even the party with the veto right. But regardless, we don't really have a say in any of the changes that RSU decides to bring forward during our studies, even if it goes against explicitly stated things in our study contract!
The decision hit international students harder. We already pay 12 000 - 14 000 € per year to attend university here. On top of this now we have to pay to retake an exam. International students on average also retake colloquiums more. Much of this is due to the fact that we study not in our first language, unlike Latvian students.
All ISA is able to do is have meetings with departments and administration, and hope they see eye-to-eye. This has proved difficult many times in the past, and many are not hopeful that good changes can be made. ISA does their best to advocate for us students, but there is only so much they can do.
Personal circumstances
A common sentiment among the students is difficulty in navigating RSU departments when faced with unforeseen personal circumstances.
Even with as horrible of a situation as the loss of a family member changes to the study structure are not possible. If you get sick and happen to miss the maximum allowed classes in a course, you will have to retake that course next semester. It's not possible to take more than a few days off university.
This semester there was a weekly physiology test (which everyone always has to do at 19:00 sharp) that lasts 14 minutes. During the test the server was crashing and the site was not loading. This test gives you a point towards your colloquium points, so for a lot of people it ends up being a saving grace to pass. Many people ended up not being able to do the test because the server was crashing, therefore they did not get a point towards the colloquium. The semester leader contacted the department of physiology, who then responded back: "I will forward your message to the IT department for the further investigation of the server function during the test. I tried the test before and all questions worked well."
So initially, the communication regarding the server issues was met with skepticism, which understandably caused a commotion within the semester. While the situation did eventually get resolved, the initial situation showed a breakdown in trust. Many students felt that a simple technical failure (on the university’s side) was being framed as a student performance issue.
These are just a few examples of problems. I'm sure every student here has heard their own variety of stories.
You'd think that there is some specific pedagogical or logistical reason why these adjustments are impossible to facilitate. But there isn't. The reason most often is something along the lines of: "No we cannot do that because it's not allowed." This puts us in a frustrating position where the policy itself is the only justification for the policy.
I've personally not had to use the third retake or experienced any problems, since my life has been fairly stable. But I know this is not the case for all, or even most. And I know so many more students could thrive if students needs were taken into account, and not just seen as a nuisance or extra work.
To finish this post, in writing this, my goal is simply to give a voice to the collective experiences of the students at RSU. I share these reflections in the hope of fostering a more transparent and supportive environment for all of us in the future. I also believe people deserve to know what studies at RSU are really like, in case they are considering this university.
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