Fears as examiners now asked to join uni strike
University students face disruption during their end-of-year exams on top of missed tuition, with external examiners now asked to join strike action over pensions.
The University College Union has asked examiners to resign from their roles until the dispute is resolved.
External examiners, usually lecturers from other universities, agree questions, moderate exam results and monitor assessment procedures.
It is the latest move to increase pressure on employers after the UCU rejected a revised deal on pensions from employers’ organisation Universities UK on Tuesday.
Striking university staff say they face losing up to £10,000 a year in pension payments if UUK’s proposed changes go ahead. The UUK says it must plug a £6bn hole in its pensions pot.
Criticising the call, Cardiff University’s vice-chancellor said the University College Union’s latest move risks damaging students’ education.
Cardiff ’s vice-chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, said he expects staff “will do everything they can to minimise the impact on students, and to ensure that students are well prepared for examinations”.
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “We are calling on external examiners to resign their positions at those universities in dispute over plans to slash staff pensions.
“External examiners ensure the rigorous quality standards in our universities, which must be upheld.
“No student or university will want the quality of their degree called into question, so we advise universities’ representatives to get back round the table with us as soon as possible to get this dispute resolved.”
A Cardiff University spokesman said: “It is extremely disappointing that UCU has decided to make such a call as this will have a damaging impact on students’ education.
“We hope that an agreement can be reached so that further strike action can be avoided. In the meantime the university continues to plan to minimise the impact of the action on our students.”
Many students publicly support the strike but have voiced concern over their studies being affected. More than 126,000 across the UK, including 10,000 in Wales, have signed online petitions for tuition fees to be refunded by universities for teaching not provided during the 14 days of strike action that have already been held.
One student, writing on the Bangor University petition page, wrote: “I am in my final year of my undergraduate degree. Thanks to the strike, I am missing valuable lectures which will help improve my chances of getting a high 2:1 or even a first.”
Kealan Tate, 19, a first-year marine biology student at Bangor University, said: “I support the strike but it is affecting everyone at university. The reason I came to Bangor is that I wanted practical experience and the course offers that. But I have lost about 10 hours so far and I have lost lab work practicals.
“My heart sank a little bit when I heard the strikes would go on.
“I don’t understand why they can’t sort it out. I support the strike because everyone should have the right to their pension.
“I pay £9,000 a year tuition fees. We have given the university money which they need but a service they have promised us has not been fulfilled.”
Dr Wolfgang Wuster, a senior lecturer at Bangor, said: “The last thing we want to do is affect degrees and exams of our students. But I would have thought universities have a moral obligation to give them some restitution.”