University Strikes: How are you affected?
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My lecturers seem to be picking and choosing when to strike, doing it 1 week and not continuing the following week. Honestly, I don't really care, although yesterday I had a 2 hour class cancelled without any prior warning which is just annoying. At least send us an email. I came into uni for it.
Original post by Quixote.
My lecturers seem to be picking and choosing when to strike, doing it 1 week and not continuing the following week. Honestly, I don't really care, although yesterday I had a 2 hour class cancelled without any prior warning which is just annoying. At least send us an email. I came into uni for it.
Lol you got trolled
Lecturers be trolling nowadays
I am a finalist. I haven't had any contact hours for a month now.
I am really trying to not lose my mind. I had a brain MRI today, barely recovering from some things going on in my life, and I have a deadline in 2 days, for which we were not given any extension, despite not having contact hours for a month. I was able to message my lecturer yesterday about my coursework, and he was kind enough to take the time to tell me that I am on the right track. If my mark will be as positive as his comments in the email, I will be content.
But the dissertation has been cancerous. I have been given no advice whatsoever on how to structure it. I was not able to go on Friday morning when my supervisor put some morning contact hours, I was very ill. Next thing on Monday, one of my colleagues, who did a very good presentation on her dissertation project earlier this term was told to just DISCARD an entire chapter from her dissertation, because it was not good. That gave me a panic attack on the spot.
I am perfectly sympathetic with the academics involved, but it really does feel that us finalists got the shorter end of the stick. We have a meager 2 week extension for our dissertation after Easter. Who the hell will make use of that, when you have other exams and coursework to attend to when you come back. I am planning to finish my dissertation by the beginning of April. Because of my other health problems, I am very cautious how this can bring me on my knees. I find it ironic how all of this unfolded right after I decided to not apply for a Master's, because of my worsening health. Maybe it was a sign that my desire to go further in academia would not materialise.
I am really trying to not lose my mind. I had a brain MRI today, barely recovering from some things going on in my life, and I have a deadline in 2 days, for which we were not given any extension, despite not having contact hours for a month. I was able to message my lecturer yesterday about my coursework, and he was kind enough to take the time to tell me that I am on the right track. If my mark will be as positive as his comments in the email, I will be content.
But the dissertation has been cancerous. I have been given no advice whatsoever on how to structure it. I was not able to go on Friday morning when my supervisor put some morning contact hours, I was very ill. Next thing on Monday, one of my colleagues, who did a very good presentation on her dissertation project earlier this term was told to just DISCARD an entire chapter from her dissertation, because it was not good. That gave me a panic attack on the spot.
I am perfectly sympathetic with the academics involved, but it really does feel that us finalists got the shorter end of the stick. We have a meager 2 week extension for our dissertation after Easter. Who the hell will make use of that, when you have other exams and coursework to attend to when you come back. I am planning to finish my dissertation by the beginning of April. Because of my other health problems, I am very cautious how this can bring me on my knees. I find it ironic how all of this unfolded right after I decided to not apply for a Master's, because of my worsening health. Maybe it was a sign that my desire to go further in academia would not materialise.
I am a final year student. For two modules I have lost around 3 weeks of contact hours, however one of the lecturers has attempted to offer catch-up lectures on non-strike days which is appreciated. My main concern is how these missed contact hours may affect our assessments - we've been given conflicting information, with lecturers stating that they would adjust exam content accordingly but also being told by departmental administrators that exam content has already been decided and we could therefore be presented with a question on content that was not delivered in a lecture.
In terms of my personal academic work so far, I have not been too badly affected. We weren't offered any extensions on our dissertation, but it wasn't needed since our final meeting with supervisors occurred before strikes began and we weren't supposed to contact them after that point anyway. However, I know for those who received extensions for other reasons that getting in contact with staff was difficult, with some staff refusing to acknowledge their students on strike days. Whilst I can appreciate the intention behind the strikes, I do feel that students are being unfairly penalised for something that is out of our control. I suppose they want us to think it's unfair, since we'd be more likely to contact the Vice-Chancellor to promote negotiations, but needless to say the whole ordeal is quite stressful and makes a period of uncertainty (exams) even more nerve-racking.
In terms of my personal academic work so far, I have not been too badly affected. We weren't offered any extensions on our dissertation, but it wasn't needed since our final meeting with supervisors occurred before strikes began and we weren't supposed to contact them after that point anyway. However, I know for those who received extensions for other reasons that getting in contact with staff was difficult, with some staff refusing to acknowledge their students on strike days. Whilst I can appreciate the intention behind the strikes, I do feel that students are being unfairly penalised for something that is out of our control. I suppose they want us to think it's unfair, since we'd be more likely to contact the Vice-Chancellor to promote negotiations, but needless to say the whole ordeal is quite stressful and makes a period of uncertainty (exams) even more nerve-racking.
Yup , my lecture tomorrow is cancelled for the third week in a row 
Here in Leicester we're now on week four of the strike and our #RatherBeInLectures mobs are growing, the protesters are growing and are marching around the uni banging drums and such, we had 21 students last week #OccupyLeicester and stake out for ~3 days in the Vice Chancellor's corridor to negotiate pensions and in attempt to try and get #WillettsOut upon the news that our new chancellor-elect is ex-Tory MP and former Universities and Science minister Lord David Willetts.
In communications it was revealed that the striking staff's wages throughout this strike will be put into the student hardship fund - so not much use to most people. For many students, excluding myself who hasn't had anything disrupted, their timetables have been substantially impacted which is unacceptable, and have even had lecturers apologise and say that they thought that the strike would have been resolved long ago. It was also revealed earlier that a deal made was rejected by the Leicester UCU so could be preparing to strike for even longer
In communications it was revealed that the striking staff's wages throughout this strike will be put into the student hardship fund - so not much use to most people. For many students, excluding myself who hasn't had anything disrupted, their timetables have been substantially impacted which is unacceptable, and have even had lecturers apologise and say that they thought that the strike would have been resolved long ago. It was also revealed earlier that a deal made was rejected by the Leicester UCU so could be preparing to strike for even longer
Here in Sheffield one of our buildings was blocked with desks and chains to stop people entering, it's starting to get ridiculous.
Original post by XenChaotik
Here in Sheffield one of our buildings was blocked with desks and chains to stop people entering, it's starting to get ridiculous.
That's extreme!
Original post by KaylaB
For many students, excluding myself who hasn't had anything disrupted, their timetables have been substantially impacted which is unacceptable, and have even had lecturers apologise and say that they thought that the strike would have been resolved long ago.
I think I jinxed myself and I turned up for labs today to be told that my demonstrator was on strike and there were none spare so we were just told to get on with it and call the lab manager over in an absolute emergency
I feel bad about the strike and such - especially since I agree with it, but when there's massive mobs blocking the main path to get to the other side of campus and shouting outside buildings it's frustrating, just because I'm not there chanting or banging a drum doesn't mean that I couldn't care less, it just means that I have things that I have to go to
Am sorry to case thats a British problem, not ours.. if we are late in our tuition payment even for a day, we get mails informing us that they will remove our name from the university..we do not get any funding, we take massive loans to come here.. not to have our classes cancelled...its loss of money and our precious time.. but I hear you.. mine is also self-directed program but all our facilities are closed.. so we just cant do anything...
Original post by Blue_Cow
Fair, but the nature of my degree requires me to do a lot of outside work based on my own interests anyway. It's not like I'm just turning up to the lectures, leaving, revising and doing the exam.
Lecturers haven't chosen to go on strike as a first-resort. Industrial action on this scale is done because negotiations (or lack of) haven't been fruitful.
Lecturers haven't chosen to go on strike as a first-resort. Industrial action on this scale is done because negotiations (or lack of) haven't been fruitful.
Original post by Bmhd
Am sorry to case thats a British problem, not ours.. if we are late in our tuition payment even for a day, we get mails informing us that they will remove our name from the university..we do not get any funding, we take massive loans to come here.. not to have our classes cancelled...its loss of money and our precious time.. but I hear you.. mine is also self-directed program but all our facilities are closed.. so we just cant do anything...
Don't get me wrong - I do feel sorry for international students for paying such high fees in the first place
I'm surprised your facilities are closed.
Apologies in advance if this post is all over the place. I have a lot of things I need to get off of my chest about these strikes.
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I made a post on here a week or two ago just explaining how the University of Kent is dealing with the strikes, and how the Law School in particular is acting in regard to these strikes. A week or so ago we received an email from 'UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCEMENTS' giving us an update on the strikes, stating that employees who come off strike will receive their full pay for the days they have striked so far (this was during the week where the strike days were MON/TUE/WED). This angered our lecturers, seminar leaders and other university workers part of the union. Since this email, it seems to be like more and more are slowly joining in on the strikes.
The rules of the strike were simple and were explained to us in an email. Well - explained to me by all of my seminar leaders participating in the strike. I get around 4 emails a day just repeating what I've already been told and it's getting boring now. We were told that lecturers and seminr leaders were not able to contact students regarding the course during the strike days. Our seminar leaders are very clever about this - they email us, all the time, but they do not speak of the course directly. I'm doing the Certificate in Law course (basically the LLB but I get extra contact hours because I struggled w/ A Levels and stuff), and our seminar leaders are clever in that they convey messages about the course in their emails, so I have managed to piece together a few things and not struggle as much as some other people have. Two seminar leaders of mine are UCU members but aren't striking - because they believe the CiL should still receive their help and as many contact hours as possible, essentially without contact hours we'd be 10x behind the LLBs which is something I, and my seminar leaders do not want.
At the start of the strike I have had full support, and I still have support, but the effort in which I exercise this support is dwindling. I'm now going to be considered as, probably, a selfish individual - this does not bother me in the slightest because I'm paying £9,250 on top of another £5,500 in maintenance loans to get a degree in a subject I am passionate about. I knew I would be losing contact hours, and during the morning I have been joining my lecturers at official pickets, striking alongside them, attending student walks and other events to show my support for the strikes. There is a big reason why my support for this strike is dwindling - it's creating way too much disruption now, more disruption than what my seminar leaders themselves anticipated. Our lecturer for 'Property Law' came off of the strikes - we have these contact hours at least.
We were told at the start of the strikes that assessment marking will not be affected by the strike and marks would still be released on time. Yeah, this is the biggest lie I've heard since my friend told me he got into Oxford. Our year (1st) submitted a case commentary on the 9th of February and were informed that our marks will return to us on the 9th of march without fail. Turns out, my mark has been delayed, yet other students have received their mark. This is unfair, this is placing me at a disadvantage because now I have less time to spend going over my feedback for my next assessment which is due in three weeks. I spoke with my seminar leader on Friday, a non strike day, for an explanation as to why my mark wasn't released by the 5pm deadline. She told me that it's because of the strikes and that the marks will 100% be returned to the Certificate in Law seminar group by Tuesday 5pm. It is now Thursday 9am. I still have no mark. Why? The strikes. This is becoming unacceptable now. First yeard, second years and third years are having their marks delayed - some students practically relying on the feedback to help them improve on their next assignment. The thing that annoys me is that they should have withheld the entire cohort instead of handpicking groups to release. Around 3-4 LLB groups still do not have the marks back (30-35 students) as well as the 2 Certificate groups (19 students), yet over 250-300 students do. This places around 50-60 students at such a huge disadvantage. The marks should've been held back until all of the marking was completed.
Our Vice Chancellor, Karen Cox, has not been of help at all. I have sent her emails on a weekly basis, explaining to her how the strike days of that week have affected me, my friends, my seminar groups etc. I have received no response. My seminars leaders are encouraging me to continue pounding the VC with pressure, and is encouraging other students to do the same. My emails have progressed to being daily this week. I've had enough now.
My mental health has been severely affected by these strikes. I already am diagnosed with a serious mental health condition which, quite frankly, could result in some (lets beat around the bush for the sake of things) "bad things" from happening to me if it's not kept under control, which I've been doing well - when I've had my contact hours and a routine. The strikes have completely disrupted my routine, completely knocked my confidence and mental wellbeing as well as other students'. I haven't had a suicidal thought for a year. Actually I lied, for almost a year. I've been having constant negative thoughts of the sort due to the strikes - worrying about lost contact time, lectures that aren't being replaced, seminars that aren't being rescheduled, topics I am not understanding, the constant banging of drums outside my accommodation block waking me up every morning. A student should not be going through these thoughts or feelings - thoughts and feelings I wouldn't even wish on the person I disliked the most. Yet, after all this, I still support the strikes, but as I have said before: only just.
Kent Union are doing a fantastic job trying to fight for students regarding the strike, they are displaying not only full support and solidarity with the UCU but they are trying to get us reimbursements for lost tuition, which I think is important. Kent Union and other university Unions deserve the highest amount of respect as they're spending so much time trying to fight for us.
I have four upcoming assessments, two of which are harmed by the strikes. Two of which are worth 50% of my final grade. The first is the public law online test. The test covers judicial review. We should've spent 3 seminars and 6 lectures on judicial review. We have spent ZERO on judicial review because of the strikes, yet the test goes on. We are all doing readings, trying to understand it, but alas we are making mistakes still. The second is my critical law research essay. It's research based, I'm not personally struggling with this but other people are - the seminars are supposed to help students come up with research topics, and instead, we've had almost no seminars for this module, most of the CiLs and many LLBs are struggling to find a research topic, many not even understanding the requirements for the assessment which is usually explained at a 'Pre Assessment' lecture - which we HAVE NOT HAD because of the strikes.
I'm really at the end of my tether now, I do not know what else to do. I'm sick of emailing the VC, I'm sick of showing support for lecturers when it's just not giving me any motivation at all. I'm still doing my readings and seminar preparation and exam revision - that's the only thing keeping me going right now. I'm beyond stressed with this now that I've had to go home until the strikes cease - no student should have to leave their university for a week or so because of strikes, they shouldn't, but this has happened.
I sympathise heavily with third years who are at their final stage now, with their last few assignments and exams left, who are struggling due to lack of contact hours. The most I can say is I wish you all the best of luck getting through these assessments and I'm here rooting you all on.
----------
I made a post on here a week or two ago just explaining how the University of Kent is dealing with the strikes, and how the Law School in particular is acting in regard to these strikes. A week or so ago we received an email from 'UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCEMENTS' giving us an update on the strikes, stating that employees who come off strike will receive their full pay for the days they have striked so far (this was during the week where the strike days were MON/TUE/WED). This angered our lecturers, seminar leaders and other university workers part of the union. Since this email, it seems to be like more and more are slowly joining in on the strikes.
The rules of the strike were simple and were explained to us in an email. Well - explained to me by all of my seminar leaders participating in the strike. I get around 4 emails a day just repeating what I've already been told and it's getting boring now. We were told that lecturers and seminr leaders were not able to contact students regarding the course during the strike days. Our seminar leaders are very clever about this - they email us, all the time, but they do not speak of the course directly. I'm doing the Certificate in Law course (basically the LLB but I get extra contact hours because I struggled w/ A Levels and stuff), and our seminar leaders are clever in that they convey messages about the course in their emails, so I have managed to piece together a few things and not struggle as much as some other people have. Two seminar leaders of mine are UCU members but aren't striking - because they believe the CiL should still receive their help and as many contact hours as possible, essentially without contact hours we'd be 10x behind the LLBs which is something I, and my seminar leaders do not want.
At the start of the strike I have had full support, and I still have support, but the effort in which I exercise this support is dwindling. I'm now going to be considered as, probably, a selfish individual - this does not bother me in the slightest because I'm paying £9,250 on top of another £5,500 in maintenance loans to get a degree in a subject I am passionate about. I knew I would be losing contact hours, and during the morning I have been joining my lecturers at official pickets, striking alongside them, attending student walks and other events to show my support for the strikes. There is a big reason why my support for this strike is dwindling - it's creating way too much disruption now, more disruption than what my seminar leaders themselves anticipated. Our lecturer for 'Property Law' came off of the strikes - we have these contact hours at least.
We were told at the start of the strikes that assessment marking will not be affected by the strike and marks would still be released on time. Yeah, this is the biggest lie I've heard since my friend told me he got into Oxford. Our year (1st) submitted a case commentary on the 9th of February and were informed that our marks will return to us on the 9th of march without fail. Turns out, my mark has been delayed, yet other students have received their mark. This is unfair, this is placing me at a disadvantage because now I have less time to spend going over my feedback for my next assessment which is due in three weeks. I spoke with my seminar leader on Friday, a non strike day, for an explanation as to why my mark wasn't released by the 5pm deadline. She told me that it's because of the strikes and that the marks will 100% be returned to the Certificate in Law seminar group by Tuesday 5pm. It is now Thursday 9am. I still have no mark. Why? The strikes. This is becoming unacceptable now. First yeard, second years and third years are having their marks delayed - some students practically relying on the feedback to help them improve on their next assignment. The thing that annoys me is that they should have withheld the entire cohort instead of handpicking groups to release. Around 3-4 LLB groups still do not have the marks back (30-35 students) as well as the 2 Certificate groups (19 students), yet over 250-300 students do. This places around 50-60 students at such a huge disadvantage. The marks should've been held back until all of the marking was completed.
Our Vice Chancellor, Karen Cox, has not been of help at all. I have sent her emails on a weekly basis, explaining to her how the strike days of that week have affected me, my friends, my seminar groups etc. I have received no response. My seminars leaders are encouraging me to continue pounding the VC with pressure, and is encouraging other students to do the same. My emails have progressed to being daily this week. I've had enough now.
My mental health has been severely affected by these strikes. I already am diagnosed with a serious mental health condition which, quite frankly, could result in some (lets beat around the bush for the sake of things) "bad things" from happening to me if it's not kept under control, which I've been doing well - when I've had my contact hours and a routine. The strikes have completely disrupted my routine, completely knocked my confidence and mental wellbeing as well as other students'. I haven't had a suicidal thought for a year. Actually I lied, for almost a year. I've been having constant negative thoughts of the sort due to the strikes - worrying about lost contact time, lectures that aren't being replaced, seminars that aren't being rescheduled, topics I am not understanding, the constant banging of drums outside my accommodation block waking me up every morning. A student should not be going through these thoughts or feelings - thoughts and feelings I wouldn't even wish on the person I disliked the most. Yet, after all this, I still support the strikes, but as I have said before: only just.
Kent Union are doing a fantastic job trying to fight for students regarding the strike, they are displaying not only full support and solidarity with the UCU but they are trying to get us reimbursements for lost tuition, which I think is important. Kent Union and other university Unions deserve the highest amount of respect as they're spending so much time trying to fight for us.
I have four upcoming assessments, two of which are harmed by the strikes. Two of which are worth 50% of my final grade. The first is the public law online test. The test covers judicial review. We should've spent 3 seminars and 6 lectures on judicial review. We have spent ZERO on judicial review because of the strikes, yet the test goes on. We are all doing readings, trying to understand it, but alas we are making mistakes still. The second is my critical law research essay. It's research based, I'm not personally struggling with this but other people are - the seminars are supposed to help students come up with research topics, and instead, we've had almost no seminars for this module, most of the CiLs and many LLBs are struggling to find a research topic, many not even understanding the requirements for the assessment which is usually explained at a 'Pre Assessment' lecture - which we HAVE NOT HAD because of the strikes.
I'm really at the end of my tether now, I do not know what else to do. I'm sick of emailing the VC, I'm sick of showing support for lecturers when it's just not giving me any motivation at all. I'm still doing my readings and seminar preparation and exam revision - that's the only thing keeping me going right now. I'm beyond stressed with this now that I've had to go home until the strikes cease - no student should have to leave their university for a week or so because of strikes, they shouldn't, but this has happened.
I sympathise heavily with third years who are at their final stage now, with their last few assignments and exams left, who are struggling due to lack of contact hours. The most I can say is I wish you all the best of luck getting through these assessments and I'm here rooting you all on.
I have one lecturer who isn't on strike and he says that they should be striking over the short term, low paid contracts rather than pensions as it is the most self-centered strike he's had to witness
I ****ing hate the strike over pensions. It's not like they are the first people to have their pensions changed, the majority of the effing country experienced the same changes years ago and got on with it without distrupting the education of people who are paying a fortune to get said education. It riles me up something chronic.
Original post by GoingToBurst
I ****ing hate the strike over pensions. It's not like they are the first people to have their pensions changed, the majority of the effing country experienced the same changes years ago and got on with it without distrupting the education of people who are paying a fortune to get said education. It riles me up something chronic.
Is it just me or has the tone changed on this thread? Initially, it seemed like there was broad support but now there seems a lot more anger.
Original post by Sceptical_John
Is it just me or has the tone changed on this thread? Initially, it seemed like there was broad support but now there seems a lot more anger.
I received an email today.
There is a huge possibility that there will be a strike in the summer term, affecting the exam marking massively. I can't support a second wave of strikes if that's the case.
There is a huge possibility that there will be a strike in the summer term, affecting the exam marking massively. I can't support a second wave of strikes if that's the case.
Original post by 04MR17
Students pay the university, who pay the lecturers. It's not the lecturers we are paying for the education, it's the university who are not providing what we paid for.
I'm aware of that. I didn't say anything about students paying the lectureres, I said that the actions of the lecturers are disrupting the education that students pay for. There are very few defined benefit pension plans in the UK these days, the very fact that these lecturers have been lucky enough to still have DB pensions until now is amazing. It's not that they will no longer be eligible for pensions, it's that universities simply can't afford to maintain staffing levels when having to pay out extortionate pensions. By reducing pension costs, they can maintain staffing levels and provide the education people are paying for. That is, of course, if they are employing people with half a brain that won't just quit their job because they've been shifted from DB to DC, even though most of the country are on DC schemes and have been for years.
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