University marking boycott: What is the impact on students?

Some students at UK universities may not receive their grades this summer because of a marking boycott by staff, affecting exams and assessments.

It is part of action being taken by members of the University and College Union (UCU) at 145 UK institutions, in a dispute over pay and working conditions.

Union members are refusing to mark university exams and assessments.

The boycott began on 20 April and will continue until employers make an improved offer on pay and conditions, the UCU says.

Not all university staff are UCU members.

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) conducted a survey of 144 institutions on 22 June.

Of the 70 universities which responded, 50 said fewer than 2% of students would be unable to graduate because of the marking boycott.

However, UCU head of policy Jenny Sherrard accused UCEA of "trying to downplay" the significance of the boycott.

The union claims it could affect more than half a million graduations this summer.

Universities are taking independent decisions about how to minimise the impact at each institution, so the effect on students will vary.

The University of Cambridge has confirmed students will not be able to graduate until all their work has been marked. Most of the 4,500 expecting to graduate would probably be affected, said acting vice-chancellor Anthony Freeling.

Up to 2,000 students at the University of Edinburgh will graduate without knowing their final mark.

Durham University said a "significant number" of its students would face delays receiving their marks and final degree results.

Some universities will allow students to move on to the next stage of study, using predicted grades or marks from other assessments.

Trainee teachers will be able to start their postgraduate courses even if they have yet to receive their degree results, under temporary plans announced by the Department for Education.

The marking boycott is linked to a dispute over pay and conditions.

It is classed as "action short of a strike" and follows previous walkouts by staff.

UCU members at 83 universities have been on strike over pay and working conditions, members at another five universities have walked out over pensions, and a further 62 institutions have seen strikes over both issues.

You can read the full list here.

For the 2022-23 pay round, the unions have asked for:

The UCEA said an improved pay deal for 2023-24 worth between 5% and 8% was the highest pay offer of its kind in nearly 20 years.

Unions claimed it was a real-terms "pay cut", with 56% of participating UCU members voting to reject the offer.

Despite talks stalling, the UCEA has advised universities to implement the 2023-24 pay uplift, backdated to February.

It said it was "fully committed to working with the trade unions", but that further industrial action - such as the marking and assessment boycott - may put talks in jeopardy.

It is anticipated further strike dates will be announced now that UCU members have voted in favour of more action.

UCU members at some universities are taking part in additional strike days because they say members are being docked full or partial pay during the marking boycott - despite those members saying they are fulfilling their other normal duties.

More than 20 institutions are affected by these additional strikes during the marking boycott, including:

The UCU says it is confident a separate dispute - about pensions - will be resolved, with those pension benefits that had been reduced due to be restored next year.

Every year, a committee decides on changes to university workers' pay.

Most universities opt in to the negotiations, but they do not have to - they can make their own decisions on pay.

The 2022-23 pay scale was implemented in August 2022.

The median salary for a professor is about £80,000, according to analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency figures carried out by the UCEA employers' body. Some 25% of professor salaries are at, or below, about £70,000, the UCEA says.

However, the UCU says a third of academic staff are on temporary contracts and are paid by the hour. It says that casual staff only receive holiday entitlement based on the hours they work and have inadequate paid time to prepare for their classes.

Staff titles vary across institutions, and universities employ staff on different types of temporary contracts. Some academics say their salary is substantially less than the figures quoted.

Correction 25 January 2023: This article was amended with revised figures for professors' salaries after clarification from the UCEA.

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