Group work - what's the correct course of action here?

[WhereMyRosemaryGoes]

I'm doing a distance-study postgraduate diploma in a year. The workload is intense throughout the year, and especially so at the moment as we have a couple of big deadlines looming.

One piece of work is a group project. We are put into groups and connect online to plan and present a piece of research over 4 weeks. 4 people:
Me, A, B and C.

C has done absolutely naff-all towards the project, and it is creating extra work for everyone else because we're forever having to chase her up or reverse engineer what she's done. She has missed 50% of our group Zooms. When she comes, she is silent. I am 90% certain she does not understand how to access the shared documents. The only piece of work she has submitted was copied and uncited, putting us at risk of plagiarism charges. Luckily, we did a bit of digging and realised.

I have emailed her, given her links, checked in with her that she understands and is okay with the work - I have given her absolutely every opportunity to engage with this project and she hasn't.

Being 100% selfish now, what's the correct thing for me (and the other two group members) to do? I only care about my grades.

Do we just carry on because it reflects badly on us to have problems with the group dynamic? We're quite capable of getting the work done between the three of us.

Do we approach the paper convener for advice?

Do we try again to tell C she's not doing 25% of the work?

I am nervous about getting to the end, and it looks bad that we didn't raise the alarm that C is not participating - I'm unsure about this though.

When we submit the work, we will be asked to assign a percentage of the workload to each group member, and the grades will reflect this.

It's pretty high-stakes, and I don't want to be a bitch and ambush C with the fact that she's failed this project. But I'm also running out of time and energy to keep trying to include her.

Emotions are running high, and the other two group members are extremely stressed about this now.

Approach whoever it's got to be given to, and tell them. If possible ask for separate not group assessment. (even though 3 of you have done the work)
Don't feel sorry for the person doing fuck all. You owe them nada.

I’d definitely approach your course leader/whoever has set the work and flag this now, how bloody annoying.

Have you also posted on the Higher Education board? This feels like the sort of post for which you really need expert advice on how the system works.

That's a good idea Madrid, I'll do that.

I'm a lecturer and I'd expect you to make sure you've reached a group agreement on tasks and deadlines, and have this in writing. If it's clear that the group member isn't doing their share of the agreed work (part of group tasks is to agree on fair workload allocation) and you've been unable to resolve it together, then contact the lecturer / convenor. The student may have a very good reason for not doing the work that you are unaware of, or that the convenor should be aware of.

I appreciate your insight.
I agree, there could be all sorts going on and good reasons she's not engaging. I don't want to make things harder for anyone, I just need to make sure that I am doing the right and fair thing. Your reply is helpful.

We do have everything in writing - tasks, deadlines, and everything. We've minuted quite formally and kept logs of who does what.

Agree you need to raise it with the person in charge - but can you at least give the disengaged person a heads up that it's going to happen just so it doesn't feel like an ambush?

This is why group work is unfair.

There are also a fair few posts about this on Wiwikau. That's how my daughter knew to contact the lecturer who had set the assessment and ask for the individual evaluation. Not all (apparently) will agree to it, but hers did. Different universities/courses/staff will have different protocols.