A Marking and Assessment boycott is a form of Action Short of a Strike and covers all marking and assessment processes that contribute to summative assessment decisions for students/learners, whether final (i.e. graduation/completion) or interim (i.e. progression decisions).
Duties included as part of a Marking and Assessment boycott will include not marking and providing feedback, holding back marks from being uploaded, not attending exam boards, not moderating assessments, not allocating assessments to Teaching Assistants, not writing assessments and not attending exams, vivas and oral presentations. This Marking and Assessment boycott commenced on 20th April 2023 and ended on the 6th September.
Why are staff taking industrial action?
Universities across the UK are involved in the action due to the UCU dispute over changes to the USS pension scheme – which many University staff are part of - and separately over a dispute to the national pay claim.
It is important to note that these are national campaigns and do not focus on Swansea University. Therefore, it is expected that there will be industrial action in universities across the UK.
This marking and assessment boycott has been mandated at a national level and we are therefore unable to come to any local arrangements to end the action. We are however committed to working with our Campus Unions and Universities UK to ensure that a solution is found that is equitable and fair to all.