King's College in Cambridge. PA
King's College in Cambridge. PA
King's College in Cambridge. PA
King's College in Cambridge. PA

Students at top UK universities face worrying wait to see if they graduate amid boycott


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

Students at high-profile British universities including Cambridge fear they may leave campus without getting their final exam results because of a boycott.

Members of the University and College Union are continuing a marking and assessment boycott over pay and working conditions.

Cambridge University’s politics and sociology students were warned in emails that unless a solution is found to the industrial dispute, it could mean no results until October.

Similar concerns have been aired at Russel Group universities after the problem was first reported by Cambridge’s Varsity newspaper.

Students who leave without a marked degree will be given a letter to show prospective employers.

The email stresses the risks to students if the industrial dispute is not resolved. Scholarships, jobs, visas and conditional offers for higher study could all be at risk.

Alex, a third year Politics undergrad who holds two offers to study for a master's degree, which are conditional on final grades, told Varsity that there was “no contact or assurances” from the placements.

The marking boycott by the UCU, representing academics and support staff, began on April 20 and will continue until lecturers receive an improved offer from employers.

Cambridge University has made a joint statement with the UCU calling for the “urgent” resumption of negotiations.

At the Russell Group, the University of Edinburgh has warned lecturer strikes mean some dissertations might not be marked before graduation day.

There are similar fears at Durham University, another Russel Group college.

Tony Fawcett, the acting pro vice chancellor for education, and Joe McGarry, the Durham University’s student union president, emailed students to say they “expect that some students will not get a final or interim classification straight away”.

“This is a national dispute and subject to negotiation between university employers and the UCU. While we do all we can to seek resolution at national level, this is not something we can resolve locally.”

At Edinburgh University one student said in May he was “outraged” over staff’s handling of a planned strike, which means his dissertation may go unmarked.

Ollie Lewis, who is in his final year of studies, said he was informed that his hard work may never be looked at by a lecturer.

If you go

The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.

The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).

When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.

Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."

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Despacito's dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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Updated: June 02, 2023, 2:51 PM