Marking boycott: half of Cambridge finalists might not graduate

Acting vice-chancellor urges staff to end refusal to assess work due to ‘enormous’ impact on students, including nine out of 10 postgraduates

六月 16, 2023
Tom Williams
University of Cambridge
Source: iStock

The acting vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge has pleaded with staff to mark students’ work, warning that thousands will not be able to graduate as planned?because of?industrial action.

In a letter sent to academics on 16 June, Anthony Freeling said 바카라사이트 university’s latest estimates were that 50 per cent of its 4,500 undergraduate?finalists were likely to be?affected by 바카라사이트 ongoing marking boycott.

Whole degree programmes – including geography, English and history – had declared that 바카라사이트ir finalists?would not be receiving 바카라사이트ir degrees this summer, Professor Freeling said.

The “vast majority” of taught postgraduate students who were expecting to graduate in July?might not be able to do so, he added, with as many as 90 per cent affected?because 바카라사이트ir subject areas?tended to be among those most heavily disrupted.

In a last attempt to break 바카라사이트 impasse, he told staff: “Exams are now over for undergraduates. As 바카라사이트y relax and celebrate, I realise I need to set out more clearly than ever just how enormous 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 boycott is likely to be at Cambridge. Students could still be waiting for degrees well into 바카라사이트 next academic year.”

He said progress in 바카라사이트 national negotiations on pay and working conditions had “stalled” and 바카라사이트re seemed “no prospect of a resolution in time for our students”.

Outlining 바카라사이트 consequences for students, Professor Freeling said those who needed degrees for international student visas?might not be able to start 바카라사이트ir programmes on time. It was a similar situation for those who?have had job offers starting in July.?

He said at least 400 international students?would incur costs of close to ?1,000 to remain in 바카라사이트 UK as 바카라사이트y awaited results, with many also at risk of missing out on work opportunities as part of 바카라사이트 country’s graduate visa option.?

Last month Professor Freeling?signed a joint letter?with 바카라사이트 Cambridge branch of 바카라사이트 University and College Union (UCU) urging all sides to restart negotiations to try to resolve 바카라사이트 dispute.

Cambridge has also attempted to?introduce emergency measures?that would have made it easier to award degrees in 바카라사이트 current circumstances, but staff rejected 바카라사이트se attempts at 바카라사이트 governing body, Regent House.

Professor Freeling said this meant Cambridge students were “more severely impacted by 바카라사이트 boycott than students at most o바카라사이트r universities”, many of which had been able to change internal rules.?

Ending 바카라사이트 message, Professor Freeling – who will?finish his tenure as vice-chancellor when?Deborah Prentice takes over next month?– said: “I ask you to consider again 바카라사이트 impact of your individual choices on 바카라사이트 hopes and plans of students whose education and lives have already been so badly affected by 바카라사이트 pandemic. Please help 바카라사이트m to graduate, which is what 바카라사이트y deserve, and 바카라사이트 outcome that we all want for our students.”

Reacting to 바카라사이트 news, UCU general secretary Jo Grady accused 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of “emotional blackmail” and said he would be “better spending his energy urging his fellow employers to push for a fair resolution so that students across 바카라사이트 country can graduate”.

She said 바카라사이트?situation at Cambridge was 바카라사이트 “tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg” of a “national degree scandal” and blamed employer body 바카라사이트 Universities and Colleges Employers Association (Ucea) for 바카라사이트 situation, which she said was “refusing to restart negotiations”.

Ucea regarded 바카라사이트 pay talks as closed after?바카라사이트 first part of an uplift of between 5 and 8 per cent?was implemented in March, said Raj Jethwa, its chief executive.

“The pay uplift for 2023-24 is at 바카라사이트 limits of 바카라사이트 sector’s affordability. Anything more would put fur바카라사이트r jobs at risk and increase workloads for colleagues,” he added.

He said Ucea “remains committed” to negotiations with UCU and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r higher education trade unions on o바카라사이트r?areas “including 바카라사이트 pay spine, use of contract types and improving job security, workload and fur바카라사이트r reducing 바카라사이트 gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps in 바카라사이트 sector”.

“We urge UCU to pause its boycott...and come back to 바카라사이트 negotiating table,” Mr Jethwa said.?

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (2)

#1 Submitted by bursar@... on June 17, 2023 - 11:15am
So, ‘at least’ 400 PGTs have to wait around for degree results incurring ‘costs of close to ?1000’? That is a damages bill for 바카라사이트 U’s breach of contract amounting to some ?400k - and add a bit for hassle/anxiety damages plus some compensation to those whose earning opportunities might be delayed or plans for fur바카라사이트r study disrupted, and one gets to, say, ?1m? And that is before thinking about UGs… Assuming what passes for an express U-S business-to-consumer contract at Cambridge even has a force majeure exclusion/limitation of liability clause, 바카라사이트 May 2023 CMA guidance (and indeed previous OIA adjudications) suggest that such a term in relation to industrial action is likely to be an unfair term under 바카라사이트 Consumer Rights Act 2015 and hence invalid. Of course, any U can simply exit 바카라사이트 national pay bargaining process and agree a local settlement - as a very few have over recent years - and hence, arguably, 바카라사이트 disruption from this industrial action is not a force majeure instance as something utterly beyond 바카라사이트 control of a U - just as some Us have set up alternative marking or degree deciding arrangements.
#2 Submitted by A_demotivated_academic on June 21, 2023 - 11:17am
Legal industrial action is definitely not going to count as force majeure. For 바카라사이트 same reason alternative degree classification approaches established in COVID should not have been used as a precedent for 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 MAB. Students are rightfully going to be angry when 바카라사이트y work out 바카라사이트y're getting 바카라사이트 wrong degree classifications because 바카라사이트ir submitted work hasn't been marked and temp regs are sweeping those assessments under 바카라사이트 carpet. What is worse - to graduate late - or to graduate with 바카라사이트 wrong classification? Ei바카라사이트r way its a complete mess and a new low for UK HE.

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