University defends new ‘critical thinking’ study unit for all students

The University of Malta is defending a new and compulsory unit for all students after a petition started circulating online with students claiming they were not informed of the unit.

In a statement, the University said that it has long felt the need for such a programme and that foreign universities have had similar programmes for several years.

“Apart from enriching students’ experience in their degrees, [this unit] responds to the demands of recruitment expectations.”

This new study unit, which starts in the second semester of Year 1 and continues into the first semester of Year 2, is called the Communication and Academic Skills Programme, or CASP.

The University said the aim of this unit is to help students develop critical thinking and reasoning, evaluate and process information, collaborate through mediation, self-direction and creative problem-solving skills.

But students on Wednesday argued that the introduction of this new unit will mean that their workload will go over and above the 60ECTS recommended for each year.

They also claimed that they were not informed of this study unit at the beginning of the semester, but the University maintains that an email was sent to all first-year undergraduate students on 31 October 2022 asking them to attend an information meeting about CASP.

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