University of Nottingham graduation may be delayed as staff begin marking boycott

University of Nottingham staff have begun a boycott ahead of striking action on Friday, which could impact graduations.

From Wednesday, staff are set to boycott marking and assessments and will go on a full strike on Friday in protest over job losses.

The University and College Union (UCU) said members voted for industrial action over plans to cut 609 of its 7363 full-time equivalent roles over the next three years.

The union said the action would “effectively block the university from handing out graduation certificates”

The University of Nottingham’s summer graduations are currently scheduled to take place from 22nd July to 30th July.

A spokesperson for the university expressed disappointment that the industrial action was “being done to create maximum disruption for our students at an already stressful time.”

Via Unsplash

Staff’s industrial action on marking and assessment duties will continue for the rest of this academic year or until the dispute is resolved.

A picket line will begin from 8am on Friday across the campus.

The UCU said the latest action followed 350 staff being made voluntarily redundant over the past year.

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It the university was also trying to offload the £80m Castle Meadow campus it purchased five years ago, which UCU previously criticised as a vanity project and the cause of the current financial troubles.

Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said: “The University of Nottingham is on notice that it needs to rule out compulsory redundancies and work with staff to protect jobs and student provision. If it refuses to do so, our members will boycott all marking, effectively blocking the university from handing out graduation certificates.

“No member of staff wants to take this step, but management is ruining this university, and it must be stopped.

“The financial issues facing the institution are the result of the senior leadership team’s mismanagement, and staff and students must not be made to pay the price for its failings.”

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said: “While we respect our employees’ right to take industrial action, the fact this is being done to create maximum disruption for our students at an already stressful time is really disappointing.

“While many of our students will be unaffected by this action, we understand this will cause concern and want to reassure them we have clear procedures and support in place to minimise any disruption.

“These are still proposals which are subject to meaningful consultation with the unions. Nothing will be finalised or implemented until a final business case is approved by council in the autumn.”

The University of Nottingham and the UCU have been contacted for comment.

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