Nottingham University - final year students being told they won't graduate due to marking strike?

[Panicmode1]

Whilst I have every sympathy with the staff at risk of redundancy, in a jobs market as dire as it is, I also feel fairly sorry for the graduates who have now racked up shedloads of debt to get a degree they may not now be awarded. My understanding is that they are being told they won't be able to graduate because exams and dissertations are not going to be marked?

Anyone else have a child in the same boat? We were already considering doing something (potentially legally) to recover some fees after she had zero lectures for one term this year - and now she's being told her dissertation may not be marked and they may not be able to graduate?

I work at a different uni and it's honestly worst fear

There's a post from a ransomware group saying it's them and it's Campus Solutions which is their student system, but hopefully they have back ups of the data . . .

I'm not sure you quite understand how research intensive universities (like the Russell Group) work.

Many of the staff are heavily involved in research funded by government, companies etc. They are not teaching full time.

As for apprenticeships, they seem to be just as competitive, if not more so, than many graduate jobs. They are not some sort of magic wand - something like 35-40% of apprentices never complete their training. Tens or hundreds of thousands of apprenticeships are not suddenly going to materialise in the next year or two.

The other thing about apprenticeships that people seem to forget is the rely on businesses remaining relatively stable over four years. Even large businesses close down or sell out divisions or move offices across the country. Medium sized and smaller businesses are more likely to go bust or be subject to significant organisational changes leaving apprentices high and dry half way through their apprenticeships. I was speaking to one careers professional who had had to spend a not insignificant amount of time trying to match up ‘orphaned’ apprentices with new businesses. Labours approach to business is certainly not helping matters.

It certainly does. Scores of managerial staff on salaries. Almost all teaching staff on PT or zero hours. The most necessary people are the least well paid with the least job security. It's ridiculous. And I agree with PP that students should ask for full refunds if they are not awarded degrees they have worked for. The uni has breached its contract with them.

I’ve unfortunately got two at Nottingham 😩 one graduating, one just finishing first year. Dd doesn’t seem sure what will be marked, but she doesn’t think her dissertation supervisor is striking so is hopeful of at least getting that mark.

Don't do nothing out of sympathy with the staff at risk of redundancy.

If the university is getting complaints and threats of legal action, they will make more attempt to settle with the unions. If some sort of settlement can be reached (which needn't be "nobody loses their job" - the union will be pragmatic if the money just isn't there), they will probably look to mark the exams/dissertations late.

If nobody complains, then things will just drift on until the lecturers can't afford to strike any more. They need you to complain.

The university might well put some arrangements in place, eg degrees classified off previous year's results, with the possibility of an upgrade (but not downgrade) once this year's marking is done.

If someone has a job/course depending on their degree result, they should get in touch with the employer/course provider. They may be willing to take them on the basis of predictions/previous year, or take them provisionally on the assumption that they will get the grade - I think some did this last time we had a marking boycott.

DC in Y2 at NU will progress with marks obtained pre the big dissertations being awarded.
DC supports lecturers but seems to think she’ll be able to find out from lecturer after strike what she would have got as was hoping for a high score and had put a lot of work in.
Feel for those at finals stage.
DS1 was at uni during Covid. Very scant offering, and lost out on all the life side of Uni. So much poorer an experience than I had and many graduates not able to get the jobs they expected but saddled with debt. We really do need a rethink of our education system, and not just in UK .
OP I wish your DD good luck, I’m sure she will graduate and you’ll enjoy the ceremony in spite of all this stress

All The DC we know there love it but of course they are worried about the long term

Phew ds2's dissertation got marked. Now only 2 exams that are in question and probably won't make much difference if these are given derived or actual marks. Hope the marking situation for everyone else is not as bad as feared.

Dd (graduating from MSci Psychology- integrated masters) has had all her marks back except for the dissertation. That’s due on 10th July and she’s pretty sure her supervisor isn’t striking.

Ds (year 1 Politics) had another mark this week - not sure whether he’s waiting for any others.