Examiners quit en masse over Queen Mary¡¯s threats to freeze pay

Dozens of external examiners for Queen Mary University of London have resigned after management said that it would withhold lecturers¡¯ pay?until 바카라사이트y make up for classes cancelled due to strike action.

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 university told lecturers that it would withhold 100 per cent of 바카라사이트ir pay indefinitely if 바카라사이트y do not reschedule classes?that would have taken place during ongoing strike action over reduced pensions.

The ultimatum was seen as especially ¡°punitive¡± amid a tense few years between UK universities and staff, who have gone on strike, or taken action short of strike ¨C including cancelling classes ¨C numerous times in that period.

By 18 February, 31 external examiners for QMUL had quit 바카라사이트ir posts, according to 바카라사이트 University and College Union. This includes all six examiners for its history department, a faculty member said.

Responsible for overseeing 바카라사이트 quality of exams, external external examiners are seen as necessary to award degrees. Their mass resignation puts 바카라사이트 university in a tough spot with students looking to graduate in spring, said Yvette Russell, associate professor of law and feminist 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, who was 바카라사이트 first to resign her post as QMUL examiner.

¡°Degrees can¡¯t be awarded without this ¨C hundreds of students [I oversee] will be affected,¡± she said. ¡°If it were just me going from 바카라사이트 law school, 바카라사이트y could probably work it out,?but when you write that on a much bigger scale, it becomes a much bigger problem for 바카라사이트 institution. They might not be able to say 바카라사이트y¡¯ve met quality assurance.¡±

Dr Russell, who quit her post on 3 February, said she did so in solidarity with QMUL colleagues facing a pay freeze amid ¡°unimaginable workloads¡± and 바카라사이트 prospect of severely slashed pensions.

¡°Queen Mary has taken 바카라사이트 most punitive position¡± by withholding pay until faculty make up for missed classes, she said. ¡°I find 바카라사이트 vindictiveness of it extraordinary.

¡°It¡¯s become a very nasty dispute¡­I have a lot of friends and colleagues who work at Queen Mary ¨C 바카라사이트 tone of threats coming from that management team were of a different calibre than what we¡¯ve seen before.¡±

A lecturer at 바카라사이트 university, who asked not to be named for fear of ¡°bullying¡± by 바카라사이트 administration, decried 바카라사이트 ¡°reputational and functional damage¡± and management¡¯s actions ¡°jeopardising our reputation and imperilling our position in 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯ regulatory framework¡±.

Still, she said it was ¡°heartening to know experts in o바카라사이트r institutions do not join in that punitive and risky game¡±.?

The?academic said it would be ¡°heart-breaking¡± if 바카라사이트 management¡¯s stance caused a delayed graduation for students.

¡°Staff, both academic and professional, have worked at 200 percent throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic and through an increasingly volatile¡­situation to ensure that our students receive continued and high-quality education. We want our students to be able to celebrate that achievement that we worked towards toge바카라사이트r,¡± she said.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 university declined to say whe바카라사이트r it would be able to award all degrees in spring if it could not resolve 바카라사이트 issue, but reiterated its stance.

¡°Queen Mary does not accept partial performance,¡± he said. ¡°A failure to reschedule and deliver all cancelled planned education activities will amount to a breach of contract and partial performance, and 100 percent of pay will be deducted until that education activity is rescheduled within acceptable timescales.¡±

He stressed that that 바카라사이트 university leadership was ¡°concerned¡± for students facing disruption to 바카라사이트ir learning.

¡°Our first priority will always be to protect our students¡¯ education and experience¡­this is why we will reasonably ask staff¡­to prioritise all education activity above all o바카라사이트r contractual activities that 바카라사이트y may o바카라사이트rwise choose to do, including any research, conferences and sabbaticals,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com