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The marking boycott A briefing note for students

embers of University and College Union (UCU) will begin a boycott of the marking process from 28th April 2014 unless a resolution to the pay dispute can be reached before then. We know that students will be concerned about the impact the boycott is likely to have and we want to explain what is happening and why. What is a marking boycott? Under a marking boycott, UCU members in universities will cease to carry out tasks relating to marking, course work assignments, examinations or any other formal assessment of students work. How will the boycott affect students? If there is no resolution to our dispute with university leaders by 28 April, lecturers will stop marking work. They will continue to teach and take seminars and lectures. But they will not mark any work. That means that staff participating in the boycott will not mark your essays, projects or dissertations, neither will they assess or grade any of your practical work. Does this action cover all students? Yes. The boycott covers any marking which contributes to the award or classification of any degree, certificate, diploma or any other academic or professional qualification. It also covers progression from one stage of study to the next (for example from an MPhil to a DPhil).

UCU members will carry out all other duties teaching classes, giving lectures, setting work etc as normal. Why are university staff taking this action? UCU is in dispute with university employers over staff pay and the boycott is part of our lawful industrial action. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Our members dont want to take any action which damages the interests of students. We work hard to minimise the impact on students of any action we take. But six separate strikes have failed to bring the employers back to the table for serious negotiations over pay. Therefore, we believe we have been left with no alternative but to resort to a marking boycott; our ultimate sanction. Whats happening to academic pay? By July, academic pay will have fallen by 14.5% since 2009. Our members earn less than academics in most of the English-speaking world, including the USA, Canada and Australia. Lecturers train for years to become highly skilled professionals. Many of the younger ones coming into the system have student debts to pay off. Many thousands are employed on shortterm contracts, many paid only by the hour and some even employed on zero-hours contracts. These people really struggle to make ends meet or to build a career.

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Even those fortunate enough to be more established are struggling to make ends meet and support their families as their pay loses value and the bills just get higher. Can universities afford to pay more? Yes they can. Universities are in very good financial shape. We know that they are sitting on a collective surplus of more than 1billion plus far bigger reserves and theyve awarded vice-chancellors an average 6% pay rise. The average vice-chancellor or principal now earns 250,000. Isnt this action just selfish? We believe that its in your interests that universities invest in getting and keeping the best staff. UCU is trying to negotiate with university employers to ensure that our members get a fair pay rise to keep pace with the rising cost of living. That ensures that the profession remains attractive to the brightest and best people. If anyone is acting selfishly, it is the university leaders who are content to award themselves handsome executive salaries. We apologise for the disruption We know that this action will cause disruption. Were very sorry about this. None of our members comes to work wanting to take any kind of action that negatively impacts on students. Our members are the people who teach and research and provide a world-class education for millions of young people and they are passionate about what they do. But you cant come to work every day and face a rising workload and, in some cases, a bullying management and then be expected to take home less pay, year after year. The fact is that every day that University managements are allowing this dispute to

roll on is another day that they are damaging the quality of your education. We have tried to persuade them to resolve this dispute through negotiation and through our campaigning but they just wont listen a boycott of the marking process is the last resort. University managements can end this dispute today The bitter truth is that this dispute is unnecessary. University managements could end it today if they wanted to because we know that they have the money for a fair pay settlement. Stand with us When you enter higher education, you have a right to know that you can expect high quality teaching and contact time. When you see disruption, it is natural to feel angry at your lecturers or their unions. But we would ask that you look below the surface and direct your anger at the people who are really responsible for this disruption, the vice-chancellors with an average salary of 250,000, sitting on big surpluses and huge reserves who are willing to put your education on the line rather than invest in their staff. University leaders seem to have forgotten that they are not the university, nor does the university belong to them. It is the staff and the students who make a university. What can you do? We would ask that you email your Vice Chancellor or Principal calling on them to press their national negotiators to make their staff a better offer. Help us to get the universities back round the table and end this damaging dispute before it gets any worse. Talk to your students union about how you can get involved. Speak with your lecturers and other university staff and let them know you support them.