Marking Boycott Update

Good Afternoon All,

 

We thought it was important for us to provide a quick update regarding the marking and assessment boycott. Whilst it is our understanding that not all our students will be impacted by the Boycott, we feel it is important to reassure all students that as an officer team we are working hard with the university to mitigate the impact of the Boycott as well as liaising closely with the University to ensure that all students feel supported during the next few months.

 

Over the course of the past few weeks, we have attended regular meetings with senior staff from across the university to discuss the marking and assessment boycott. Within these meetings we have been providing the university with regular student feedback (collected through your Academic Reps) which has emphasised some of the concerns felt by you, particularly at departmental level. At this stage we can offer reassurance that we are working with the university to minimise the impact that the boycott will have on you over the next few months.

 

As well as sharing student feedback, we have regularly been asking for reassurance in the following areas...

 

1. That graduations will continue as planned, and all students expecting to graduate will be able to do so.

 

2. That the University provides clear updates for all students - explaining what the potential impact could be on them over the next several months

 

3. And finally, whilst we understand that the current priority is final year students - that there is a need for clear communications for all students who could potentially be impacted by the Boycott.

 

From the feedback we have collected, we have heard that several members of our student body have begun to cancel flight bookings out of fear graduation ceremonies will be cancelled. At this point we can confirm that ceremonies will be running as planned for final year students who would be expecting to graduate this summer. The University is working to mitigate the impact of any industrial action that does take place, to make awards to as many students as possible, while maintaining the quality, rigour and value of your degree.

 

As the Students’ Union, we are here to help and support however we can. Our Advice and Support Centre has advised us to share the following with all students, “the most important thing for anyone affected by strikes is to keep a personal record of the disruption they've encountered individually (where exactly have they missed out financially and academically? how great are these losses? why do they warrant compensation?) and how this differs from their course handbook. Collecting this information will support any future support or advice that can be given. Please also remember that through the Advice and Support Centre we provide 1:1 support for students to navigate the student complaint process. Further information can be found here.

 

We also want to use this opportunity to remind you that if you have any queries or concerns regarding the Boycott, that in the first instance you should contact your department by speaking with your Director of Studies or Teaching. They should have up to date information to provide clear guidance on how your cohort will be individually affected. Should your department not know the answer there are a series of central FAQs. If you have any other concerns about the boycott, the central email address for students is queriesindustrialaction@bath.ac.uk.