COLUMN: BSS dean pleased with new exam hall - and students will be too

This is an opinion piece, the views expressed in the column are the writer’s own.

By the time these lines are published, the first AU students will have sat their written on-site exams in the new examination hall established for Aarhus University by the research foundation’s property company, FEAS. We have also heard from a reliable source that the organisation of the first exams has gone very well.

To get an impression of the exam hall and the logistics of using the building, the Aarhus BSS Dean's Office and Secretariat took a field trip one morning to visit the new facilities in connection with the recent open house event.

The Dean's Office tests the accessibility

As there have been a few voices challenging the accessibility and distance to the new exam hall, we chose to test three different modes of transport: Light rail (stop Klokhøjen), bicycle (without electric motor) and bus 200 (stop Lisbjerg Erhvervspark/Søftenvej).

All three modes of transport proved to be very efficient and the journey was completed in less than half an hour.

We set off together from the junction of Nordre Ringgade. All three modes of transport proved to be very efficient and the journey was completed in less than half an hour. There are also a number of parking spaces for cars at the address. When we arrived, we saw a Tesla from the Department of Computer Science parked there, so the trip from the university to the exam house can likely be completed on a single charge.

As the journey from both the light rail stop and the bus stop is slightly uphill to the exam centre, as an additional service to students, it is recommended that you purchase a suitcase with wheels to transport heavy equipment.

Meeting students' needs

We left the open house event with the clear impression that the Exam Hall fulfils many of the needs that our students have long requested. We get more modern exam rooms, improved indoor climate, and more space for each student, allowing them to showcase their academic skills in the best possible physical environment. The large exam rooms have all the necessary technical equipment to ensure an optimal and consistent exam experience for all students regardless of faculty and study programme. There are also a number of individual exam rooms dedicated to students who need them.

Finishing in good surroundings

For many years, the university has invested in providing our students with the best possible courses. Significant investments are being made to improve the physical facilities across our campuses, with a focus on creating a positive teaching and academic environment. But when it comes to the written on-site exam, where students must demonstrate their knowledge and skills, the physical environment has not always been optimal for all our students. With the new exam hall, this problem has been rectified.

Once students have made the journey to the Exam Hall once, it is undoubtedly a great advantage for them that, going forward, they will sit their exams in familiar surroundings.

The exam house can be seen as an investment in the final stage of a course and, more broadly, an investment in our academic environment and research-based education. And once students have made the journey to the Exam Hall once, it is undoubtedly a great advantage for them that, going forward, they will sit their exams in familiar surroundings specifically designed to give them the best possible opportunity to showcase what they have learned at the university.   

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Cecillia Jensen.