Universities told they face fines if strikes harm students

UNIVERSITIES have been warned they face being fined if pension strikes cause “significant disruption” to students’ learning.

As tens of thousands of lecturers plan to walk out over plans to plug the deficit in their pension scheme, universities have been told to draw up plans to ensure students do not suffer academically as a result of the disruption.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, a senior source at the Office for Students said universities that fail to mitigate the impact of the strikes would open themselves up to regulatory intervention.

While the pensions dispute is beyond the OFS’S jurisdiction, the source said any potential knock-on effect which harmed students’ performance would cause the watchdog “concern”.

Under powers due to come into force in April, the new regulator will be tasked with ensuring that universities are providing value for money for students. “If a university fails to take efforts to mitigate the fallout from strikes, if there is significant disruption which impacts a student’s education, that would be a matter of concern,” the source said.

It comes after Sam Gyimah, the universities minister, urged the two parties to come to a solution. The opposing sides are due to meet today after Universities UK, which represents the employers, offered talks to the University and College Union, which represents striking academics.

Meanwhile, vice chancellors have been told they urgently need to rethink how they spend money.

Sir Michael Barber, the chairman of the OFS, said yesterday that institutions must “think really hard” about spending or face regulatory action. It comes as Channel 4’s Dispatches last night revealed that more than £8million in expenses were filed by vice chancellors over a two-year period, including one who spent £1,600 having a pet dog relocated from Australia.