Marking & Assessment Boycott

[aridapricot]

So how do you think this will pan out this time? Are you taking part? How do you think things will go in your university/department?
My uni is docking 30% pay. Also in my department (where the spirit tends to be "yes we'll do whatever UCU asks us to do but we'll also go out of our way to cause any inconvenience to students") people are already talking about mitigations... 🙄I am not a UCU member and won't be taking part but I also fear that at some point I will be asked to cover colleague's marking or (even worse) redistribute it (given that I'm HoD).

I'm really sorry to hear that @aridapricot. It's trite advice but I imagine it's not actually personal and you are just the convenient target for their anger. Are they backed by the union or are they doing this off their own bat?

The union contacted (I think) someone at the university to intimate that an appeal is being prepared by a group of students, as I think is usual protocol for these things (sorry that I am not giving the exact names for procedures and bodies as these are quite unique to my uni and I fear it might out me).

One of the students I understand is involved has accused me of completely making up some of their grades out of thin air to justify the degree classification that I feel they should get... it has been explained to them time and time again how the classifications are calculated under MAB but this keeps coming back.

@aridapricot that's absolutely terrible, and utterly unreasonable on the part of the students. Are you getting any support from higher ups / anyone else?

What a nightmare, aridapricot, I am sorry to hear this.

Are you getting any support from higher ups / anyone else?
My line manager and administrative team is very supportive. However what frustrates me is that things do not seem to trickle up to higher management so to speak. At my university only some Humanities departments have been affected (some of them worse than mine - with people turning up to disrupt exam boards) and with the Humanities being so small and in a way insignificant it is easy for senior management to shrug this off.

I'm sorry to hear this @aridapricot . It sounds clear enough to me that the appeal won't be allowed to proceed, but still it will cost you time and yet more stress to prepare the response.

I completely agree that none of the impact is being felt higher up in the university. It's HoDs and departmental PS staff that are bearing the brunt of this.

That's horrible, arid - I'm so sorry. I know this seems trite, but try not to worry. Your line manager and senior management will know that you've done everything you could and have done it as well as you could under the circumstances. I had a similar complaint last year, where there was absolutely nothing I could do to give the students what they wanted, and just had to go through the process until their complaint wasn't upheld. But it's unpleasant and upsetting, so I hope you have support.

Oh no @aridapricot ! That's just the icing on the cake. How rotten.

So sorry to hear that @aridapricot - how absolutely rubbish for you. Sending virtual support and hoping it ends as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Oh god @aridapricot What an awful situation. I'm so sorry. Take care of yourself. I hope it works out (I'm absolutely sure it will)

Really sorry to read that @aridapricot I know the type of student you're having to deal with ...

I had one student during the 2nd big lockdown (remember January 2021 - the one hurriedly announced) tell me to my face (well in an online meeting) that we didn't know what we were doing. And that particular student then followed up by writing the digital version of a series of "green ink" emails to everyone from the VC down.

You can e pretty sure that the complaints will be chucked out - the ignorance of students about the ways we assess is legion, even when we explain it in every module! But saying that doesn't make it any easier - I know from experience.

Don't be shy about contacting an employee assistance programme if your university has this for staff. I did (when accused of transphobia) and they were VERY helpful.

Thanks everyone for the messages, I really appreciate the little supportive community we've built here.
I do agree with posters above that the complaint isn't likely to get anywhere. Part of it was the way I found about it - I was in a meeting about yet another complaint I was aware of, and someone said "Oh btw you know that some students are intending to submit this other complaint" (I didn't know!). We are also going into re-sit season, which I always dreaded and hated as Exams coordinator (students waiting until literally the last minute to clarify important questions about an assignment, wondering why you cannot mark their essay if they submit it on the 31st August at 8pm if the University final grade deadline is 1st September, academic colleagues pandering to students and enabling these kinds of behaviours, etc.). This time it is doubly difficult this time - firstly because we're still dealing with the fallout from the "normal" exam boards, secondly because all the nitty-gritty of re-sits should have been done by someone else but they are on MAB.

Here’s the latest from UCEA on the MAB talks. It looks like a slight concession to me. https://www.ucea.ac.uk/our-work/collective-pay-negotiations-landing/2023-24-new-jnches-pay-round/

And UCU have come out swinging. I had been wondering when they were going to try legal action.

Interesting that they're both accusing the other side of lying.

Oh, this whole thing is exhausting. I'd like answers to a few questions first. Like, what is a review of sector finances? What would it tell us that we don't already know? What would define a successful review? What is its purpose in relation to uni management, government, and any practical change?

Increasingly, this dispute shows that the VCs/UCEA are not the enemy. The common enemy is Government policy which seems determined to starve UK HE into a shadow of its world-leading self.

A friend from a different institution just sent this to me ... presumably they'll do something to tweak the timing, but really speaks to a lack of leadership forethought if true.

https://michael4hec.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/say-it-aint-so/

This would explain the comments on Twitter criticising the lack of a summer re-ballot. This whole saga has been a very long resignation letter from Jo Grady.

This means that those Departments affected by MAB will have a wonderful start to the academic year. I imagine employers will aim to get the marking done quickly, maybe within the usual 2-3 weeks, certainly by the end of October. They will not return deducted pay. UCU members will either be demoralised or furious with their employers. They will have to do their marking. Seems like a good idea to get started now, especially as there will be additional marking to be distributed (inevitably, some colleagues will manage to claim illness, leave, doctoral students in UCU who have taught this academic year will have moved on …).

Grady‘s answer to all this (membership drive, asking for money, new ballot) is just more of the same and I wonder if it will be enough to finally oust her.

I think it's more than lack of leadership - it's factional in-fighting at the top. I'm not in UCU any more: I was an active member for years but I got tired of the constant mobilisation for poorly-led industrial action plus the union's wholesale adoption of extremist, dogmatic versions of trans rights. This seems like more of the same, with the costs to members off the scale. Our sector desperately needs a credible, well-led union that can fight effectively for our rights. UCU isn't that union, nor do I see any prospect of it becoming so. I feel so dreadful for my colleagues who've suffered punitive pay deductions for months and look to be sold down the river.

Given that the MAB hasn’t moved the employers, what can be left for UCU? Another round of strikes in early December and mid-Feb till mid-March?

I also think that the membership drive smacks of desperation. They might get some idealistic PhD students but what academic in their right mind would sign up to UCU now?

I also feel sorry for my colleagues who’ve lost money in the MAB and wonder if they have the stomach for more.

Her aggressive pose is doing her/us no favours whatsoever. And it's clearly ineffective, as it's achieved nothing so far other than to put backs up, including those of her own members.

There are reasons why union membership is still advisable, in some quarters in particular. Many local branches are excellent. But it's undeniable that what we need is a more competent, reasonable steer from National.

Gutted today. Looks like it's over to me.

Me too. Our branch is spitting mad and considering local action.

And I can't believe I've just given nearly £4k to my employer. Whilst still working full time. To achieve absolutely nothing at all. I've received £500 in total from the hardship funds.

I posted earlier that I thought they might tweak the timing to get the vote through. But the message I'm getting now is, no, they're not going to.

WTF?

Okay to send you another virtual hug @KittyBurrito ? I'm not really a hugger, but what else can one do at the moment.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thanks, hug appreciated. Backatcha. To achieved absolutely nothing really stinks. I thought we would get something on equalities or perhaps workload. Maybe a small increase in pay, subject to opt outs. But sweet FA is really demoralising.