Dozens of students from the Balqa’ Applied University (BAU) protested at their campus earlier today, and told Roya in a telephone interview that a group of them clashed with the campus police, who tried to break up the protests. 

The protestors had demanded that the university revises its new grading system and the fees applied to filing a complaint against their grades, as well as reassess the cost of the English Communication Skills course book.

The disgruntled students had gathered outside the Administration building to complain about the “injustices” they are facing, such as having to be graded according to a new scale from A-F, instead of the former numerical system.

In addition, they were unimpressed to learn that there will no longer be an allocated percentage for failing a course.

The students were further infuriated by the new “complaint fee,” which has seen the cost of filing a complaint rise up to JD 5 from JD 1.

Furthermore, the students said they were unhappy about having to pay JD 8 for the English Communication Skills course book, when the university can supply them with a photocopied version for just JD 1.5.

In a telephone interview with Roya a day earlier, many of the students said that their complaints always go unnoticed, while others feared failing university altogether, now that a new system has been set in place.

"I am supposed to graduate, but because of this sudden decision, I will fail," one student said.

The protests took place at the university’s main campus in the city of Salt. Campus police prevented students coming in from other campuses, which are located in different parts of the Kingdom, from entering and joining the protests.