Dear Students,

A few weeks ago, I updated you on our stance regarding the proposed marking boycott by the University and College Union (UCU). Since then, recent negotiations between UCU and Universities and Colleges Employment Association (UCEA) have resulted in a final offer being made to the UCU.

Due to this offer, the marking boycott has been delayed for a week (28 April to 6^th May) and UCU will do a member’s vote to determine their response to the offer.

We are working to ensure that students aren’t unfairly disadvantaged in any outcome and have lobbied the University to emphasise the option of appealing. This is so students who feel they have experienced any unfair disadvantage in this situation have an option for resolution.

A few days ago, the University held a special Senate meeting where we (the sabbatical officer team, acting as your representatives) approved emergency regulations to mitigate the impact of this on students and to allow students to graduate and progress on to the next level. Details of this report will be shared with you all soon.

We have contacted the UCU to discuss our students’ views regarding this.  We have explained to the academic community that we sympathise with the UCU campaign for better pay, however we do not think that a marking boycott, a negative impact on students, is the right way to achieve this.

We do not want our students to be treated as punching bags in this dispute.

We appeal to the UCU to resolve this issue, and to ensure that whatever the outcome of the talks, measures are put in place to ensure that our students, across all years and Schools, are not unfairly disadvantaged and that their final year experience is protected. 

Best Regards

Mishal Saeed

President, University of Salford Students' Union