Final year students at universities in Wales face delays in getting their degree results this summer with industrial action over pay leaving exams, dissertations and essays unmarked. They say they feel angry and frustrated after a university experience marred by Covid restrictions, strikes and now a marking boycott.
Some are demanding compensation as they called on university employers and the University College Union to settle the long running dispute, which pre-dates the pandemic. The national marking boycott by UCU members has already seen Cambridge University tell students that “the completion of their degrees and their graduation may be delayed”.
Swansea University confirmed degree results may not be confirmed until after graduation. Aberystwyth University said regulations are in place “to ensure as far as possible that anyone who might be affected by the action are able to receive results”.
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Cardiff University said measures would be taken to “ensure degrees are valid” and academic standards are maintained, but could not give details about how marking would be done. A spokesperson admitted the impact of the boycott was not yet clear.
Voicing their frustration students expressed some sympathy for lecturers, saying they deserved more pay, but felt they were “piggy in the middle” and their university experience had suffered. They called on employers to resume negotiations and possibly compensate students with money they have from withholding pay to UCU members boycotting marking.
Jade Heath, a third year history and sociology student at Cardiff University said: “I am a bit anxious but my anger is directed less at the lecturers and more those at the top. They keep saying they’ll do their best to help us, but they’ve done nothing.
“My 10,000 word dissertation, which I handed in a month ago and counts towards my final degree, has not been marked. They have not explained how they will work out marks for graduation.
"Will we just graduate based on past marks? I have two finals exams, one I have taken and one on June 7, but we don’t know how they will be marked.
“My graduation should be on July 21 but I have been told I may not know my degree result by then. My university experience has been quite disrupted which is not great.
“Most of us third years feel fed up and disheartened. First we had A levels cancelled by Covid and then lectures online, now the strikes and marking boycott.
“It’s not been the university experience we expected and everyone feels a bit lost and ignored. People have mixed feelings about the strikes, some say it’s hurting us students the most, I’d just say to pay staff more so our exams can go ahead.”
Journalism and politics third year Cardiff University student Safiah Salih, 23, said it is unfair students still haven’t been told how their degrees will be graded without marking this term and university authorities should have made plans.
“Marking for my work has been delayed. Most of us are doing dissertations and may be graded on past assessments used, but we don't know.
"I have some sympathy with lecturers but we have no clue what is going on with our final degree results. I have heard things like we will receive grades after our graduation ceremonies."
A third year English literature student at a Welsh university, who didn’t want to be named, estimated she lost 17 hours of lectures in last term’s strike, had much of her course online in the first year and is now worried how the marking boycott will affect her final grade.
“It is frustrating and there has been a lack of communication. I don’t think people who run universities know how hard it has been for us.
“While I respect everyone needs fair pay students are piggy in the middle in this and being ignored. We are paying for a service we have not got and should be refunded.
“They are withholding pay from staff boycotting marking, so they have the money to refund us. I have reached out to complain.
“Covid and now this has definitely dampened my experience of university. We pay a lot and I feel student voices are just not heard.”
Another student, who also did not want to be identified, said her 12,000 word dissertation was still unmarked and she had been told she may know what class of degree she is being awarded in August, long after her graduation date - but even that is not confirmed.
Meanwhile staff boycotting marking have expressed their anger at having pay docked, saying it is unfair. Universities have taken individual decisions about how much to deduct. UCU members, joined by some AMs and students are outside Swansea University today (FRI MAY 26) to protest.
This follows a statement of opinion to the Senedd, tabled by South West Wales MS Sioned Williams. which labelled university managers actions "disproportionate" and "harming student interest" while urging vice chancellors back to the negotiating table. Mike Hedges MS said: “Universities are very important to the Welsh economy and can be drivers of economic growth. The way in which Welsh higher education vice chancellors are going about penalising staff is all wrong.
“Welsh universities should be leading the negotiations in a spirit of partnership that shows a way to the negotiating table, not trying to bully their staff into submission.”
A Swansea University lecturer, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said the 50% being cut from his wages for the boycott was “bullying”: “Food price inflation is at 40%, and I have nine year-old who is missing out because our vice chancellor Boyle is first, cutting our wages in real terms, and second, trying to intimidate us by making ridiculous deductions for taking action.”
Students and potential students at Cardiff University also face further disruption with UCU members there voting to strike during key points this summer in protest at pay being withheld for the marking boycott. Cardiff University UCU branch has voted to walk out during graduation week in July, A level results admission day and Clearing in August as well as welcome week in the autumn.
Andy Williams, Cardiff University UCU branch media spokesperson, said staff regretted the impact on students. He said there were fears that some would have degrees and other marks awarded on previous work done, potentially de-valuing their final grades.
Universities respond:
Aberysytwyth University
"The university has no plans to withhold pay in relation to action short of strike’ provided contractual duties are fulfilled. However, if a member of staff participates in the marking and assessment boycott, they would not be fulfilling their contractual duties, and the University would make a deduction of 50% at a daily rate of pay.
The university has been working to minimise the potential impacts of UCU industrial. Assessments, examinations and graduation ceremonies are expected to go ahead as planned and students have been advised to continue to submit work and attend assessments and examinations as scheduled.
Regulations are in place to ensure as far as possible that anyone who might be affected by the action are able to receive results, progress in their study schemes and, where qualified, attend graduation ceremonies in the future.
In the unlikely event of a student not being able to meet programme learning outcomes or satisfy professional statutory and regulatory bodies’ requirements due to the impact of the UCU industrial action, the university will work closely with those students to agree a path which will transition them to the next stage of their learning"
Cardiff Metropolitan University
"As a University, we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of national industrial action on our students and staff. Only a very small number of Cardiff Met staff are taking part in the current marking and assessment boycott and we anticipate that most of our students will be unaffected by the industrial action.
"However, the university has prepared a set of exceptional supplementary regulations that will be implemented if required across any module or programme cohort that is affected by disruption.”
University of South Wales
“The current action short of a strike is part of a national dispute with the sector. We know that the decision to take part in the national industrial action is not taken lightly, and the financial impact that this brings.
"We also need to do what we can as a university to ensure that students continue to receive a high-quality service, they are able to progress or graduate at the end of the academic year, academic standards are upheld, and the impact on colleagues is minimised.
“Our partnership with the sector’s trade unions is something we value highly, and it is a matter of genuine regret that the sector is in dispute with them."
Swansea University
Whilst employers are entitled to withhold 100% of pay for each day of participation in the boycott, as this amounts to partial performance, at present we have voluntarily agreed to make a 50% ex-gratia payment to participating staff.
The education, wellbeing and welfare of our students remain our top priority and we are doing all we can to support them during this time. Assessments and examinations are taking place as planned and our library and our study spaces remain open, and our student support services are also available.
Not all members of staff will be taking part in the UCU boycott and many students will remain unaffected by the industrial action. For those students who are affected by the marking and assessment boycott, regulations will be in place to ensure that wherever possible students can complete their programme, progress from one stage of their degree programme to the next, or progress to further study.
For programmes leading to professional accreditation, we will work with the appropriate bodies to confirm requirements and acceptable moderations. For students who are undertaking further study or who hold conditional offers of employment, where appropriate we will liaise with employers and universities to explain the circumstances.
For students due to attend graduation this year, all ceremonies will go ahead as planned. If provisional decisions have been made in regard to awards, eligible students will still be able to attend ceremonies; a classification, however, may need to be confirmed at a later date.
We remain fully committed to ensuring that every student is supported to achieve their learning outcomes and to experience the best that our university has to offer, during their time with us.
Cardiff University
We wrote to all staff on 19th April outlining our current position on withholding pay. Where staff take part in this action, we reserve the right to withhold 100% of pay. However, it has been decided that, in the first instance, we will withhold 50%.
The assessment and marking boycott goes to the heart of the contract of employment for academic staff involved in student learning and teaching and affects the fundamental duties of academic staff. Given the seriousness for the institution and our students, like other Welsh and UK universities we have been left with no choice but to adopt this approach.
The full impact of the boycott is not yet known. The university intends to take robust measures to reduce the impact of industrial action and ensure that degrees awarded are valid and reliable and that academic standards are maintained.
In an email to students Claire Morgan, Cardiff University's Pro Vice Chancellor, education and student experience, said: "Many of you will receive your results on time, progress, and (if in your final year), graduate as planned.
However, we regret some of you may face some disruption (e.g. a delay in receiving some marks). While what this may look like is hard to predict, we continue to do everything we can to reduce the impact it will have on you, working with examining boards and ensuring all degrees are awarded while maintaining academic standards.
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