This summer, tens of thousands of university students are being left in limbo without their final degree results, some students after attending the graduation ceremony, were told that they have failed.
By the marking and assessment boycott at 145 universities, around a third of the UK’s 500,000 final-year undergraduates are being affected. The argument between the University and College Union (UCU) and employers, regarding, the part of the pay has strained relations between staff, students and management.
Since 2020, for many students there was a delay in confirming their degrees is the latest in a string of disruption which they have suffered. During the pandemic, when A-level and BTec exams were cancelled and replaced with a botched algorithm, Covid prevention measures in their first years, marred their time on campus and restricted them to online learning systems.
Since UCU members declining to mark final exams, coursework and dissertations, most universities have decided to issue certificates or provisional results, so that this will help students to graduate on time. Students have been told that, only when assessments are completed in several months then their class of degree will be issued.
The University of Cambridge is mainly affected and has told students that, until their final exams have been marked, they will not be able to graduate.
The University of Edinburgh informed that 2,000 affected students can receive a degree scroll on stage, while taking part in the graduation ceremony but in a very small number of cases, students who have attended the graduation ceremony, with delayed degree awards may be found to not be eligible for an award once marks are returned after the boycott is over.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh said, as planned graduations will continue. Students who are awaiting a final decision on their degree outcome or who have been awarded their degree, even though it’s final or provincial, will be able to participate in the ceremony.
The University of Manchester has told staff, where some work has been marked, to award provisional grades for modules, and will give degree classifications to undergraduates with marks in at least two-thirds of their final-year modules.
A spokesperson says that, for students to graduate on time and receive a classified degree, measures should be put in. When all final marks are submitted, unless there are specific circumstances, such as academic malpractice, we will not lower an awarded degree classification. However, if appropriate we would consider a raised classification.
To restart pay negotiations, a number of employers have joined us in calling on UCEA, but unfortunately, the employer body is refusing to listen., hurting staff as well as students.
