UCU members voted to end their dispute with university employers over the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

Over 99 per cent of the 19k UCU members who took part, voted to bring the dispute to an end after employer body UUK made an offer of full restoration. The vote brings the dispute, which has seen a total of 69 days of strike action since 2018, to a close.

UCU (University and College Union) has now ended the Marking and Assessment Boycott, following 60% of members who responded to an informal poll being in favour of ending the boycott. Other action short of a strike will continue.

Although UCU have announced national action for five consecutive days during September, this will not take place in Bristol. The Bristol branch of UCU have called off the action in September.

UCU will open ballots for strike action on Tuesday 19 September until Friday 3 November. If the ballot is successful, union members will be able to take action for a further six-month period, including at Bristol.

This week the University will start to release assessment results. We know getting your results should be a time to celebrate your achievements, but we’re aware this year there is a lot of uncertainty for students due to the ongoing Marking and Assessment Boycott. We’re sad students are in this difficult situation, particularly after the challenges of Covid-19.  

Schools and faculties may have different approaches to unit results release. Most schools publish all unit marks on a pre-set results release day, some release marks for single units early, as soon as marking quality assurance is complete. Schools will publish marks and results and email you when you can access them in eVision. See the step-by-step guidance on viewing your assessment details and results. 

Congratulations to those of you who’ve received your results – this is a testament to the hard work you’ve put into your degree during a challenging few years!  

For those who are missing marks, we understand how disappointing this is given the effort you’ve put into your assessments. The most up-to-date information about how the Marking and Assessment Boycott may affect your results, and what you can do if it has, is available on the University webpage. University Student Services will be the first point of contact for queries about results and can direct you to the correct support. Contact student-services@bristol.ac.uk or telephone them on +44 (0)117 428 3000. 

Our Academic Advice team are on hand to support you through this difficult time, and can offer guidance on making a complaint, or appealing your results. 

What have we done for you? 

• We've been pushing the university to be as clear as possible in its guidance to students on what to expect and what to do if you are missing marks. 
• Students are still able to attend graduation ceremonies if you’ve been awarded a preliminary degree, pending classification. There will be no difference to the ceremony for these students 
• Requested the university provides evidence to future employers or institutions for further study to explain the situation 
• Called for universities, UUK, and UCEA to work with UCU to find resolutions and end the disputes. 

In line with our active policy, voted in by students in November 2021, Bristol SU stands in solidarity with staff who are taking action over pay and working conditions. The University must work with and meet with UCU to bring this dispute to an end as soon as possible to stop and prevent further impact on students. 

UCU has announced a day of industrial action on Friday 16 June. This is a day where UNISON also intend to take industrial action. This is in reaction to the University making the decision to dock the pay of staff involved in the Marking and Assessment Boycott, which has been described as being "not proportionate" as a measure.

Please note that UNISON will also be taking industrial action from 16-20 June. More information is available on our UNISON strike pages.

We understand that the uncertainty around what the marking and assessment boycott could mean for taught students may be causing worry and frustration. Bristol Students' Union are doing everything in our power to support students as the action progresses, and provide information as we receive it.

We want to ensure that the university is providing the reassurance and clarity that many taught students have been asking for, particularly in light of this open letter signed by many of our students and also being shared at other institutions. At this point, we don’t feel as though the university have responded to everything within the letter, but we are asking them to respond directly. 

In November 2021, your Postgraduate Education Officer, Lu, took a motion to Student Council to hear from elected representatives about how students feel about the industrial action, and to make sure we put student needs at the heart of our response. This motion passed, and since then, our mandate to support the strikes has allowed us to play a key role in supporting students and striking staff during periods of industrial action. This has included:
•    lobbying for assessment mitigations
•    providing information on how to claim for strike-related compensation
•    running information-based campaigns to ensure our student body is kept up-to-date with the ongoing action
•    communicating information on financial assistance available to PGRs who may be participating in strike action
•    making money available to students who wished to show support to striking staff at picket lines.

We’re aware that the Marking and Assessment Boycott is a different form of industrial action, however, since it has been announced we have been meeting with senior university staff on a weekly basis, putting pressure on the university to give students clear guidance and support. We’ve also been regularly talking to UCU.

We stand with our striking staff at the university, and support the action they are undertaking. However, it is now more important than ever for universities, UUK, and UCEA to work with UCU to find resolutions and end the disputes. We call for this to happen as soon as possible.

You can find further information about the Marking and Assessment Boycott below.

Nicole, Undergraduate Education Officer
Lu, Postgraduate Education Officer

The University and College Union (UCU) announced on Monday 3 April that it has successfully renewed its strike mandate at UK universities for an additional six months. The ballot results mean that the union is able to call further strike action at 150 universities across the UK.

In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 85.6% and the turnout was 56.4%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 89% and the turnout was 58.4%. You can view the results here. 

Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of a strike on both ballots. UCU has announced that they have a mandate for strike action Until September 2023, and a Marking and Assessment Boycott will start on 20 April. This boycott will continue until either the disputes are settled, UCU calls off the boycott, or the end of the strike action mandate is reached. 

We're currently waiting for more information about what to expect, and are continuing to meet with both UCU and the University on a regular basis. We have shared some information on the Marking and Assessment Boycott below, in the 'More info about strikes' section, and will continue to update this page when we receive more. 

• Week 5 - Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March [Cancelled]
• [No action week commencing Monday 6 March] 
• Week 6 - Wednesday 15 [NEW], Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March 
• Week 7 - Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March

• Week 1 - Wednesday 1 February  
• Week 2 - Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February 
• Week 3 - Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February 
• Week 4 - Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February [Cancelled]
• Week 5 - Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February [Cancelled]

Strike dates from 20 February and two weeks after were called off after a breakthrough in negotiations, and to allow intensive talks to take place. UCU action had originally been due to take place on  21, 22, 23, 27 and 28 February and 1 and 2 March. This hopefully shows progress in the long running dispute on pay, pensions, and working conditions.

UCU announced that more than 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days between February and March in continued disputes over pay, conditions and pensions. The dates of the planned action, and action that has already happened, can be viewed above.

UCU will also be reballoting its members to extend the union's mandate and allow staff to take further action through the rest of the academic year.

Bristol SU supports the strike action, and you can find further information on this below.

We'll continue to keep this webpage updated with any further information or changes.

UCU, the University and College Union, have balloted and voted in favour of taking strike action due to disputes over pay and working conditions, and pension cuts. Further information can be found on UCU's web pages about the strikes. Strike action will begin in November.

The ballots were aggregated, which means that for the first time in these disputes, all universities in that ballot will be hit by strike action, rather than individual institutions. Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities could now strike after University and College Union (UCU) members overwhelmingly voted 'yes' to strike action in two historic national ballots.

This continues to be a national issue, not just about Bristol, and any decisions on action will have been influenced by UCU's national position.

We are already speaking to senior staff members at the University about the strikes and are committed to the actions set out in our active policy on this issue to mitigate the impact on the educational experience of taught students, as well as supporting our staff who are striking.  

We’re aware that this will affect the university experience of many, and we also respect the right of university staff to pursue industrial action. In particular, our members who are PGR students may be taking part in the strike, and we will support them for the benefit of their careers in academia.  

We plan to give regular updates on the strikes and have answered a range of questions below.  You can also see an overview of action which took place in 21-22.

If you have concerns about how the strikes are affecting your education, you should contact your course rep who can bring this up at their Student-Staff Liaison Committee meetings, or with relevant staff members.

The University and College Union (UCU) balloted in October 2021 on taking strike action or ‘action short of a strike’ due to disputes over pay and the USS pension scheme.

The results of these ballots confirmed that University of Bristol academic staff and research postgraduates who teach, who are members of UCU, voted in favour of taking strike action in this academic year over pension disputes, and pay and conditions. 

Multiple periods of Industrial Action took place throughout the 2021-22 academic year, including Action Short of a Strike.

Your SU Officer team spoke to senior staff members at the University about the strikes and were committed to mitigating the impact on the educational experience of taught students, as well as supporting our staff who were striking.  

Your SU Officer team co-signed a letter alongside other Russell Group Students' Unions lobbying for UUK (Universities UK) & UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association) to enter formal negotiations with the UCU (University and College Union) and make meaningful progress that will see a long lasting solution to the industrial disputes that have severely impacted the experience of students for many years.

As part of the NUS New Vision for Education Campaign students walked out of university and gathered in central London on Wednesday 2 March for a student strike to demand education that is fully funded, accessible, democratised and lifelong. We supported a free coach for students from UoB and UWE to attend the event.

In November we took a motion to Student Council to hear from elected representatives about how students feel about the upcoming industrial action and to make sure we put student needs at the heart of our response. The policy to support UCU's industrial action was passed.

UCU members are currently involved in disputes over unsafe workloads, casualisation and equality failings, and USS pensions and pay. These issues are negotiated at a national level between representative bodies of Universities (e.g. UUK) and workers (e.g. UCU). Strikes are a legitimate tactic used by trade unions when they feel that the bodies they are negotiating with are not meeting their demands or making a reasonable compromise to resolve the issues they raise, and are generally seen as a last resort. 

On pay and working conditions, UCU argues that staff pay at Universities has dropped by over 25% in real-terms since 2009. This means that university staff are being paid almost a quarter less than they would be if pay had kept pace with inflation (RPI) over this period. UCU also argue that staff’s working conditions have deteriorated, with increasing use of short-term, insecure or casual contracts which leave staff at risk, and excessive workloads which impact staff wellbeing. 

The ballot over pensions comes after employer body UUK voted to cut thousands of pounds from the retirement benefits of university staff, an action that most detrimentally affects members of university staff at the beginning of their careers. UCU believes the cuts were not necessary and can now be revoked.

Action in the USS pensions dispute has been stood down while current pension proposals are progressed.

We don't yet know when the next round of strike days will be for Bristol members of UCU.

Although there is action taking place nationally in September, this has been called off at Bristol.

Strike action has previously taken place on the following days in the academic year 2022-23:

• Thursday 24 November and Friday 25 November
• Wednesday 30 November
• Wednesday 1 February  
• Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February 
• Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February 
• Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March 
• Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March
• Friday 16 June

Staff also began industrial action short of strike action from Wednesday 23 November, which includes working to rule, refusing to make up work lost as a result of strike action and refusing to cover for absent colleagues.

Staff took part in the Marking and Assessment Boycott up until 6 September 2023 when the boycott ended.

Strike dates from 20 February for the next two weeks were called off after a breakthrough in negotiations, and to allow intensive talks to take place. UCU action had originally been due to take place on  21, 22, 23, 27 and 28 February and 1 and 2 March.

We don't currently know how much of this academic year will be affected by industrial action. UCU will open ballots to continue their mandate for strike action on Tuesday 19 September until Friday 3 November. If the ballot is successful, union members will be able to take action for a further six-month period. We expect to be able to provide a further update on this in early November.

Action short of a strike means that staff will not be doing any work beyond what is required to fulfil their contract; this includes not working extra hours, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action and not undertaking any voluntary activities. 

No, not all staff will be on strike. Some staff are members of other trade unions who have not secured a mandate to go on strike and so are not permitted to.  Lecturers do not have to notify the University before they go on strike so we cannot know exactly who will strike on any given day. In our experience, many lecturers will let you know if your teaching is going to be cancelled.

A picket line is a boundary established by staff on strike, especially at the entrance to the place of work, which striking staff ask others not to cross. It is likely that you will see picket lines outside some University buildings on strikes days, with staff holding placards, handing out campaign materials and talking to students and staff about their cause. In our experience they are peaceful and friendly demonstrations, so please don’t feel like there is anything to be nervous about if you see them.

Students who experience disruption due to the industrial action are eligible to claim from the Industrial action reimbursement fund for costs incurred, for example childcare, subsistence and travel.

If you are looking for compensation as a result of lost teaching, the process is lengthier.

The University will be putting mitigations in place to make up for the impact of the strike on your studies. Because mitigations can include changes to assessment, it may not be clear how the strikes have impacted on you and how this impact has been mitigated for until after the exam boards have met following the May/June exams.

If you feel that the University has failed to put the right arrangements in place, you have the right to make a complaint. You can ask for financial compensation as a possible outcome, but there is no guarantee that this will be successful, particularly as the Student Agreement under section 7 outlines that the University is not liable in the case of strikes if they have taken reasonable care to prevent them happening.

If you are thinking about making a complaint, we would encourage you to wait to see how the University responds to the impact of the strike first. This is so you can explain why the arrangements that have been made have not mitigated the impact on your studies. 

Before making a formal complaint, contact your school office to find out what mitigations have been put in place for any lost teaching/education, or to find out when the mitigations are likely to be known. The university may not be able to advise you about mitigations immediately as first, they will assess the impact the industrial action has had, which may take some time. You can see more guidance on how Universities are expected to respond here.

If you have contacted your school and found out what mitigation is, or will be put, in place and you feel that your concern or complaint cannot be resolved by the school, please complete the Industrial Action Complaint form. If you have further queries about the complaints process, you can email uob-ia-complaints@bristol.ac.uk. 

If you do decide to make a complaint, the SU’s independent Academic advice service is on hand to help you. Our advisers can give you information about the complaint process and feedback on draft complaint forms.

The SU will also be working with the University to decide where with-held pay will be spent, as well as lobbying to ensure that it is spent in the interest of students. Officers will work towards increasing transparency with regard to the expenditure of with-held pay.

Bristol SU will be working with the University to decide where withheld pay will be spent, as well as lobbying to ensure that it is spent in the interest of students. Officers will work towards increasing transparency with regard to the expenditure of with-held pay.

Withheld pay from the 2021/22 industrial action was spent on a range of different areas to support students including:

• Reimbursing students for expenditure incurred as a result of industrial action 
• Library resources
• Increased study skills support
• Reducing costs related to physical activity (including Run series and 'Summer Six' memberships)
• Funding to a 2 year project to improve the provision and impact of Academic Societies
• Community building events and support for international students
• Harm reduction work and resources

This was allocated in conversation with the Bristol SU Officer team.

Yes, Bristol SU supports our striking lecturers and postgraduate students who teach. We have active policy to support the strikes. This sets out that Bristol SU must take the following actions:

1. The Students’ Union to work with UCU and the University to lobby UUK and UCEA to resolve the disputes and therefore end the current industrial action, with the aim of minimising the impact of strike action on the educational experience.
2. The Students’ Union to work with stakeholders to find reasonable ways of mitigating the impact to the educational experience, paying particular attention to those who receive little to no teaching during industrial action.
3. The Students’ Union to work with the University on the topic of fee rebates for those who have had their educational experience negatively impacted by industrial action.
4. The Students’ Union to ensure students are informed on why strikes are taking place working with materials provided by NUS and UCU to run digital campaigns, in addition to making £175 available for students in student-led initiatives who choose to bolster University staff on the picket.
5. The Students’ Union to speak out on behalf of Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), in order to defend their interests.
6. The Students' Union to publicise and support all UCU industrial actions, demonstrations and teach outs to the student body.
7. The Students' Union to release a statement declaring its intention to combat the marketisation of higher education, which is the root cause of the issues that staff are striking over.

We released the following statement on anti-marketisation as part of our work in supporting the strikes:

Bristol SU stands against the marketisation of higher education, and we recognise the key role that it plays in causing the issues that university staff are striking over, as well as many of the issues currently faced by students. 

In 2010, following the release of the Browne Report, the Government voted to raise the cap on tuition fees from £3,290 a year to £9,000 a year. This move has had a detrimental impact on the higher education sector, with universities forced further into competition, which has changed education from a right to a commodity.  

We recognise that the rise in tuition fees has not only negatively impacted higher education institutions themselves, but it has also greatly harmed the student experience. Students have been forced into the position of consumers, and sector-wide issues on the subjects of wellbeing, housing, and community building have grown in severity and complexity.  

Going forward, we will be using our voice as a member of the National Union of Students (NUS) and Russell Group SUs to amplify and bring further attention to the issue, and fight for a democratised, demarketised, and decolonised education. We will challenge the University on mitigating the local impact, through addressing the need to continue improving wellbeing support, challenging the unsustainable expansion of the institution, and supporting student-staff solidarity.  

In November 2021 we took a motion to Student Council to hear from elected representatives about how students feel about the upcoming industrial action and to make sure we put student needs at the heart of our response. This motion, with amendments, was passed and is now active policy for three years. You can view the amended motion here. 

The motion sets out actions for Bristol SU to follow in response to University Industrial Action.

The Bristol SU Officer team have been actively working to support our striking staff, but also mitigate the impact of the industrial action on the educational experience of taught students. Below you can see some of the work that has taken place to support the strikes:

• Bristol SU are continuously ensuring that relevant and up-to-date information is available on our website and social media channels regarding strike dates, picket lines, teach outs, as well as the SU’s position on industrial action.
• Bristol SU has distributed strike support money to students following them applying for the fund. Further information regarding how students can apply for the fund this year is available below.
• Bristol SU has published a statement declaring our intention to combat the marketisation of higher education
• Bristol SU Officers have been present at picket lines and strike rallies. The Postgraduate Education Officer has given speeches at several strike rallies, showing support from the SU, and defending the interests of Postgraduate Researchers who teach
• Bristol SU have created video materials aimed at “mythbusting” common misunderstandings regarding strike action

The Bristol SU Officer team have been actively working to support our striking staff, but also mitigate the impact of the industrial action on the educational experience of taught students. Below you can see some of the work that has taken place:

• Bristol SU are continuously ensuring that relevant and up-to-date information is available on our website and social media channels including content “mythbusting” common misunderstandings regarding strike action.
• Your Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Officers have lobbied the University to ensure that any content missed due to strike action is removed from assessment content
• For the 21-22 year, Bristol SU (specifically the Undergraduate Education Officer, with SU staff), were involved in discussions around the reallocation of withheld pay, ensuring that money went back into the student experience
• Bristol SU has responded to queries from students surrounding fee rebates, directing them to the appropriate avenues for support during this process

A common way that you might be asked to show support to striking staff is to avoid “crossing picket lines” during the strike, e.g. by not attending teaching on strike days. The University advise that students who chose not to cross picket lines will need to take personal responsibility for the teaching and learning that they will be missing. We believe it is up to individual students to make up their minds about whether to cross picket lines, but will ensure that students are informed about this is as a way of supporting the strikes. 

Other ways that you can support striking staff are: 

• Join one of the picket lines, rallies or teach-outs led by UCU
• Join teach-outs being held
• Like UCU Bristol on Facebook and attend any rallies or teach-outs that are advertised 
• Join UCU if you are a postgraduate student 
• Write to key decision-makers (e.g. the Vice Chancellor or UUK) highlighting your support for UCU’s demands and asking them to go back to the negotiating table 

As part of our policy on supporting Industrial Action, the SU will be making £175 available for students, in student-led initiatives, who choose to bolster University staff on the picket. 

If you would like to submit a bid, please contact: bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk 

Student Action Bristol often hosts teach-outs throughout the strike period. 

Only some lectures, seminars and tutorials will be cancelled due to strike action. Striking staff do not need to notify the University before they go on strike, so it is not possible to know in advance which teaching will be affected. In our experience, many striking staff will choose to let students know in advance if they are going to go on strike. We will be working with our network of course reps to look for ways that we can help disseminate any information about cancelled teaching to affected students. 

The university have taken a position that where lectures are cancelled due to the strike, lecture recordings will not be made available without permission of the lecturer. This supports the right of staff to take industrial action.

If you have concerns about how the strikes are affecting your education, please speak to your Course Representative.   

Picket lines are likely to be peaceful and friendly. We know that UCU members appreciate the show of solidarity from students who choose not to cross the picket lines, e.g. by not attending teaching on strike days. If you do not cross the picket line, the University expects you to take personal responsibility for missed teaching and learning.  

Yes, all University buildings are planned to be open as usual.

Some student services staff may be members of UCU and on strike, but the services will generally remain open. If individual appointments are cancelled, you will usually receive an email to let you know in advance.

Your visa should not be affected by strikes. If your lecturers are on strike, you will be given an authorised absence with a note to say that your absence is due to strikes. If your lecturers are not on strike, attendance monitoring will continue as normal. We have asked the University to ensure they provide specific information to international students about the strikes, but if you have any questions please contact Student Visa Services at the University. 

If you have a viva that is scheduled for a strike day, the University should email you on an individual basis to let you know whether the viva will be taking place. You should assume that your viva will go ahead unless you hear otherwise.

Make sure you take time to de-stress and talk about what's bothering you with those around you. The student counselling service have lots of tools for relaxation and stress management that you can find here.

You may also want to speak to someone within the University and you can find details of the support available here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/.

Bristol SU is working closely with University of Bristol staff to ensure that no student should be unfairly disadvantaged by the strike - for example, to make sure that students who have missed out on teaching can get changes or extensions to their assessments. If you feel that you have been unfairly impacted by the strikes, you can speak to one of our Academic Advice team who can advise you on how to tell the University about any extenuating circumstances, submit a complaint, or even appeal a final result.

Before making a formal complaint, contact your school office to find out what mitigations have been put in place for any lost teaching/education, or to find out when the mitigations are likely to be known. The university may not be able to advise you about mitigations immediately as first, they will assess the impact the industrial action has had, which may take some time.

If you have contacted your school and found out what mitigation is, or will be put, in place and you feel that your concern or complaint cannot be resolved by the school, please complete the Industrial Action Complaint form. If you have further queries about the complaints process, you can email uob-ia-complaints@bristol.ac.uk. Alternatively, the Bristol SU Academic Advice team can offer support. To contact a member of the Bristol SU Academic Advice team, please email bristolsu-advice@bristol.ac.uk.

Student Expense Fund 

If you have experienced disruption due to the industrial action, you may be eligible to claim for out-of-pocket expenditure. 

Further details, including how to make a claim, can be found here. 

As part of the ongoing strike action, UCU asked members to vote on a further mandate to take industrial action. UCU announced on Monday 3 April that it had successfully renewed its strike mandate at UK universities for an additional 6 months. The Union has indicated their intention to use this to undertake a Marking and Assessment Boycott. UCU ended the boycott on Wednesday 6 September.

A Marketing and Assessment boycott means that UCU members of staff participating in this round of Industrial Action will not carry out any marking or assessment of coursework and examinations, assessment of fieldwork, exhibits, practical work, scientific experiments, presentations or posters. This is a form of action short of a strike (ASOS) and not a strike. All teaching, formative assessment and support for students continued as usual. 

The majority of students graduated with a classified degree, or were able to progress to the next year of study, however there are a small number of students who have been significantly impacted by the boycott and have classifications or awards pending. The University shared a statement from the Vice-Chancellor in July. 

UCU staff members at the university do not need to let the university know if they are taking planning to take part in the MAB so at present, we are unable to confirm which subjects will be affected. If you are impacted, your school office will be in touch with more information. Disruption to scheduled teaching is not expected.

Impact on scheduled assessments: You are advised to continue with your studies and take part in assessments as expected unless you hear otherwise. Your school will provide further information if required. 

UCU has a mandate for strike action until September 2023. MAB will start from 20 April and continue until either the disputes are settled, UCU calls off the boycott, or the end of the strike action mandate is reached. 

We understand that the news may bring up anxieties for students and we are working alongside the university to do everything we can to mitigate any impact and disruption to your studies. We have called for universities, UUK, and UCEA to work with UCU to find resolutions and end the disputes nationally.

Now that the MAB has ended, staff have returned to marking and we are prioritising the marking of work where additional marks would enable us to confirm or revise a pending award. 

Now that the MAB has ended, staff have returned to marking and are prioritising the marking of work where additional marks would enable us to confirm or revise a pending award.

The next Boards of Examiners meeting will take place in late September. You will receive an update from the University on your award in the week commencing 2 October.

The University will be holding additional graduation ceremonies on Saturday 21 October 2023 for students who now have an award who were not eligible to attend the summer graduation ceremonies due to MAB impact, and students who are now eligible for an award following summer reassessments.  Eligible students will receive an invitation email in the week commencing 18 September.

If you cannot make the date or would prefer to wait until you have been awarded your final classification you can choose to attend a later ceremony in February 2024.

If you plan to progress to a postgraduate programme, that is dependent on your final award, and your result has been affected by the marking and boycott assessment, the Uni will make every effort to ensure that you receive your proper classification as soon as possible so that you can still proceed. As this is a nation-wide issue affecting many UK universities, it is expected that the Uni's admissions processes and those of other institutions will be flexible so that the marking and assessment boycott doesn’t affect your ability to continue postgraduate studies.

If you plan to start employment which is also conditional on the classification of your final award, the Uni have said they will support you with communications with your new employer, so that they understand the reasons for any delay and are able to recruit you in the unlikely event that your degree classification is delayed.