After hitching their wagon to £45,800 of debt and hundreds of hours of lectures, some UK students have been left without formal degrees, following a marking boycott at 145 universities as part of the University College Union’s strike. At Queen’s University Belfast, more than 750 students will get a “degree” but will not have their final grade confirmed until the autumn. Cambridge’s vice chancellor and the UCU head have said the boycott is “likely to have a significant impact” on students. At Bristol University, the vice chancellor is marking dissertations on a £285,000 salary while university staff pay is being cut by 50 per cent if they join the boycott. So what? Those awaiting a grade to renew their UK visa, accept conditional job offers or confirm postgraduate study have been left high and dry. Universities have claimed they will eventually be able to provide final marks, but with negotiations between the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) and the UCU at an impasse more disruption is likely.
University marking boycotts leaves students without degrees