At the moment no strike days have been confirmed by UCU. However, UCU's national marking and assessment boycott began on 20 April 2023.
We have robust plans in place to ensure you can still progress and finish the year to the same timeline despite this further potential disruption. Graduation ceremonies will also go ahead as planned.
What does a marking and assessment boycott mean?
People who are taking part in the action may not mark coursework or exams while the dispute is taking place. However, it is important to stress that not all lecturers are UCU members and not all members take part in industrial action.
The impact of any boycott at Kent will vary greatly across areas - it's important you continue submitting assignments as usual and we will do all we can to make sure marks are turned around quickly.
We also have specific measures in place to make sure you can progress on time. This involves something called Reserve Powers - read more on what this means.
Background to the strikes
The University and College Union is the largest teaching union at universities across the country. After a recent ballot of their members, they are taking industrial action over concerns around pay, pensions and working conditions.
This is a country-wide dispute shaped by decisions around pay and pensions taken at national level - this means that as an individual institution, we have limited influence over the issues under dispute.
That said, all of us want to work in a sector where staff are well-rewarded for their hard work and we want to do all we can to have a positive working environment for all.
Read more on what we are doing at Kent
Our commitment to you throughout
Whatever happens, we will do all we can to ensure you have the best possible experience at Kent:
- We will do all we can to mitigate any impact on your studies
- We will never devalue your degree or coursework
- We will refund you for any direct expenses you incur as a result of industrial action
- Any staff salaries saved as a result of strike days will be reinvested in your student experience
- We will be open and transparent with you throughout
Read more on support available
If you have any questions regarding industrial action, you can email industrialaction@kent.ac.uk