Issue 1427 Monday 16th May 2022
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thecourieronline.co.uk
Heartstopper: A new era of TV Popular graphic novel adaptation brings in the happiness TV | page 22
Rethinking Tequila Shunning the shots, Jude Parkinson says sipping is the way Food & Drink | page 19
Interview: Alfie Templeman
Elena Corcobado finds Alfie’s path to his debut Music | page 20
NCL Uni to implement ‘no detriment’ policy for boycott, UCU’s “last resort” Kayleigh Fraser - Campus Comment sub-editor George Boatfield - Student Media Officer
Representatives of both sides of the UCU action have brought forward additional detail regarding recent events
N
ewcastle University has announced a ‘no detriment’ policy in response to the UCU’s recent steps towards taking a marking boycott. Announced on 12th May, the policy will apply to any assignments submitted from the 23rd May - the start date of the boycott. The University will be putting this policy in place as a means of mitigating the effects that the boycott may have on students. ‘No detriment’ refers specifically to the fact that students’ final marks will be calculated from their
first-semester grade average. Any marks that are reported after the boycott is over can only increase a student’s final mark. Regarding the new policy, a Newcastle University spokesperson told The Courier that they “are very aware of the worry the marking boycott will cause. Our priority is to minimise any impact on our students’ studies and assessments and this means ensuring assessed work is marked, and that students in their final year graduate this summer on schedule.” This move marks the latest action in the timeline of the UCU’s ‘Four Fights’ dispute with the University. After more than four years of back-and-fourth of action and mitigation, there is hope within the UCU that escalation to a marking boycott could finally end the UCU’s battle’s with universities. Matt Perry, the Secretary of the UCU’s Newcastle branch, described their need for a boycott as “really, really unfortunate”. He explained that they “don’t want it to happen but the people who run universities these days are so cut off from academic staff and students that the only thing they really understand is this kind of serious action.”
Image: Twitter (@NewcastleUniUCU)
Indeed, this is not the first time that the UCU has resorted to a marking boycott. Perry recalled, “I’ve been through two marking boycotts. One was 2006, and that was a national marking boycott. It was the last time we got a pay rise.” Reflecting on UK universities as a whole, Matt said, “They’ve clearly got money. They can pay themselves exorbitant salaries, you know, the [Vice Chancellors] and the people on the university executive board[s]. They’ve clearly got money. They could share that out and give us a pay rise at inflation but they haven’t done that.” Matt explained that this is something he has seen before, as pensions are evaluated every three years. “2011, 2014, 2017. We haven’t progressed to the third term where it really hurts them. What the management do is they tear up the terms of our pension and make it worse, and worse, and worse.” Perry reiterated that “it’s really unfortunate that we’re kind of put in the position where we have to use the strongest weapons in our arsenal. We don’t want to do that. From a student perspective, it looks like we don’t have any sympathy for them, but this is the last resort.” When The Courier last spoke to Matt
Perry back in February, the UCU was facing fresh scrutiny of their struggle to create change for their members, and whether the strike action was having any impact. On whether the last round of strike action, fifteen days in total, made any progress in the dispute, Perry shared that “well, they’re talking to us now. So we’re meeting with the Vice Chancellor this afternoon (11th May). In terms of the longer-running disputes, we still haven’t defined benefit pensions.” One major factor in strikes is this emphasis on staff/student solidarity. Considering this return to a marking boycott tactics, is the UCU worried about this prompting a downturn in student support? “I think it’s really important that we get the opportunity to explain things to students”, Matt said. “It’s really important that students understand the role they can play. They can put pressure on university managements to move.” Owen Lukins, a student who has previously been a vocal supporter of strike action, commented that “Student-Staff solidarity has been really important for this year’s strikes, for gaining support and even getting NUSU to back the movement.” They continued, “Whether you support the UCU or not, you have a choice: either sit and be angry, or be angry and do something about it. The marking boycott hasn’t come into effect yet, and it could be called off if enough of us make a fuss.” As summer looms, what happens after the boycott is uncertain. If this approach doesn’t work, will there be strike action in September? Matt reckons “that’s a real possibility. Our members are really determined about this. They understand how high the stakes are.” From the perspective of the University, their spokesperson ended with this: “The marking boycott is a national dispute and it is very much our hope the ongoing discussions - nationally and at a local level - will lead to a resolution that brings an end to the industrial action. In the meantime we will continue to work with our academic colleagues to ensure the impact on our students is kept to a minimum.”
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