University strikes - what do you think about them as a student?

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I believe I'm in the cross fire for this. I was in the last ones, too.

Honestly, I stand with the lecturers and understand that it's the only way to make a point. It's a very difficult balancing act though, that I'm losing 2-3 of unobtainable pay for University that I can't redeem by going to lectures/seminars. It's frustrating beyond belief, and always seems to be around the same time that essays and assignments are due in.

Joshua

Broadly agree with this, it's frustrating for students impacted by them, but it's also an important cause - it's something I'm torn on in general, because the issues being stood for are important, and it certainly won't have been the first step made by the lecturers. If they're striking, it's because it's the only way for them to be heard - but equally, it doesn't seem fair on those students getting significant impact for it.

Personally I'm not sure there's a solution here that would make everyone happy, and also be fair on all involved.

Reply 21

The_Lonely_Goatherd

As a postgrad, I'm usually somewhat affected but nowhere near as much as the undergraduate students. Bit annoyed about the timing of this particular strike as this month, I really do need my supervisors' help in Feb; also, for them to answer my emails :colondollar:

That said, my Dept. is very pro-union, and I fully support the fact that they want to strike. I can understand why a lot of undergrads don't, though :ninja:

Reply 22

1secondsofvamps

Those who skip lectures or leave lectures early etc have no right to complain

Reply 23

ParadoxSocks

I'm a little bit on the other end of this. I've taken strike action both as uni staff and when teachers were striking a couple of years ago. I am/was a postgrad student and affected from that side too as supervisions were cancelled, classes I was supposed to sit in wouldn't happen or worse, I'd be asked to cover and I'd have to refuse to as I'm also in the union but I also wouldn't have crossed the picket line.

It absolutely sucks to be striking because we just want to be doing what we're paid to do. As a teacher we were on actions short of a strike meaning we had limits to what we could do and that was horrible enough but not being able to teach my GCSE students before their exams was a killer when we moved into strike action. I made sure that in the lessons running up to the strike action that the students were comfortable in something that they could continue on with because it's not the fault of the students and they absolutely meant the world to me.

I'm not involved in the next round of strikes as I'm not currently teaching at uni but I voted in the previous ballot and I absolutely stand with them now. When something is constantly ignored and our education system is being massively affected, we're a bit stuck in what we can do and the universities know it so they push and push. If there was a way to take it out on the actual uni and not the students, the overwhelming majority of those striking would go for it. We don't like the disruption either but if standards keep eroding, there's not going to be much uni left in the future as everyone of value will just leave.

The argument that those who don't like it should leave is just a race to the bottom. Would you really want your university to be full of those who would accept less than acceptable standards just to stay in a job because all of those who value themselves and those around them have already given up?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 24

Sinnoh

Well at least I won't be the only one without any strike action going on this time :smile:

Reply 25

The RAR

They earn 60k per year for a job where all they have to do is talk a little and done, no more helping the student. Isn't that enough?
Since I am paying I am slightly on the support side but not fully, but if they delay the deadlines for assignments and such then I can support it.
If it was a school teacher strike, I would not hesitate to fully support it lol

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 26

Mabey

I really don't understand what these strikes are achieving? For a strike to be successful you have to majorly inconvenience the the opposing party but in this case the only people they are inconveniencing are the students! The people axing their pensions don't give a **** about the students not getting their education, and it's not like they have any financial pressure since in most university contracts it says the university is not liable for lecturers striking. I empathise with the lecturers but these strikes make no sense, unless the students kick up a massive fuss.

Reply 27

Mr Wednesday

Original post by The RAR

They earn 60k per year for a job where all they have to do is talk a little and done, no more helping the student.

So if you think that's all academics do you really don't understand the job. For starters you missed teaching prep, project supervision, lab demonstrating, exam setting, marking, admin, chasing money, managing research and non-academic staff, doing research, peer review, publishing, PhD vivas, lab safety, college committees, NSS, TEF, REF and KEF.

Reply 28

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

My priority is getting clarity from staff on which of our modules will be affected and how.

Reply 29

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Mabey

Because it's more than just teaching that staff do, and therefore it's more than just students they're inconveniencing.

I don't know about other unis, but where I am in Keele this industrial action is occurring at the same time as the "diet", where programmes are asked to do lots of paperwork for the central uni outlining which modules are planned to run in the following academic year. This then informs the updated course webpages etc. If staff aren't working (on and off) for 4 weeks then that's going to delay this (very long) process and cost the university in time and potentially in recruitment.

Reply 30

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by the_queen

Fully agree! As I said, we pay, they dont provide the teaching they promised, we are forced to study independently without guidance/support/teaching but we are asked to respect deadlines. Not fair, students are the only ones suffering!

Does your degree not require independent study anyway? Module specifications on my course outline the number of teaching hours per week (2) and the number of expected independent study hours per week (usually about 10).

Reply 31

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by the_queen

I understand their reason and motivation, they are right BUT when they finish the strike they will ask students to be on time with projects, essays, everything even they didn't receive the teaching they paid for a huge amount of money.
In this perspective, universities should reduce the volume of work for students, extend deadlines and be lenient when students dont understand concepts which haven't been taught because of the strike.

Two years ago several universities held a policy of allowing extenuating circumstances requests if you could demonstrate that the assessment you were doing was disadvantaged by the strike action (e.g. An essay on a topic that you were meant to get a lecture for and didn't), you could get an extension so that you had time to seek advice from staff on that topic. I don't know whether your institution will have this policy this year, but it's worth exploring.

Reply 32

CheeseIsVeg

I'm fortunate as the majority of the chemistry department don't strike. Only one did and I was able to support her and speak to her about it all last time. I have friends that are much more affected, so much so that planned lab work for their dissertation is most likely going to be cancelled. It's extremely frustrating for these students but I do understand their reasoning. I sympathise with the staff especially who are forced to go on these interim contracts to stay at a uni for 6 months and then are forced to leave etc. when they've settled and built relationships only for the uni to boot them out !

Reply 33

Joleee

except getting me out of a few lectures and seminars i didn't want to go to anyway, it didn't feel like the strike i experienced affected me at all. i *think* our lecturers took turns and scheduled when they would be out so as not to disturb class time too much, and they always kept stuff up-to-date on blackboard. 90% of what you learn in a law degree (in my experience) is self taught anyway. anyway, i support their right to fight for fair working conditions; if i were in the same position, i would want the same.

Reply 34

PhoenixFortune

I can understand why striking is necessary, and I support staff's right to do so, however that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. The strike is likely to affect me, as even though I'm a PhD student, I only started in January so need early support to get my project off the ground. I have yet to meet with my supervisor (for various reasons), but as she and most of her department normally strikes, I may not be able to meet with her for even longer - I'm aware that they aren't striking for full weeks, but it still decreases my likelihood of being seen.

Original post by boods8897

When you have to cross a picket line just to go to the library and are told you shouldn't be going in because you should support the lecturers...

Back during the 2018 strikes, I had a pile of books to return to the library - I didn't plan to take any more out - and on my way there I was stopped by multiple people warning me that there were pro-strike students barricading the (only) entrance. I ended up having an argument with the students on the barricade - there was no way that I was going to face hefty fines for late returns (which my university strictly enforced) as a result of students' intimidation.

Reply 35

Mabey

Original post by 04MR17

Ahhh that makes a lot more sense. Although if that's the case, wouldn't it make sense for the lecturers to carry on teaching the students and just stop doing all the administrative stuff? That way they are causing just as much inconvenience but not affecting the students who've done nothing wrong?

Reply 36

niamhdoesmaths

I fully support the strikes, despite how irritating it is as a student to be missing out on so many contact hours. Think what some people don't realise is that the whole point is to cause as much disruption as possible. We're SUPPOSED to get annoyed by them! But rather than aiming our frustrations at our striking lecturers we need to instead target the higher ups and work with our lecturers to try and make changes. Otherwise they're never going to change anything :dontknow:

Reply 37

Anonymous #2

Tbh I don't mind the strike. It will give me enough time to complete my assignments and prepare for my upcoming exams.

Reply 38

wanjo1

It's not right for anyone to strike at all. You're getting paid to do the job, so you best turn up to your job and do it.

If the pay is not enough, change industries or look for a higher role in the same industry. It's as simple as that.
Striking is absolutely pathetic.

Reply 39

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

Original post by Mabey

The principle of withdrawing your labour is a significant one. If you turn that into picking and choosing which bits of your job you do and don't want to do then that's not really a protest as much as it is just doing your job badly on purpose.