An update on UCU's MAB sector wide impact

28 July 2023

An update on UCU's MAB sector wide impact 

This week, almost three fifths (59%, 84) of the HE institutions in New JNCHES provided updated feedback on the impact of the marking and assessment boycott (MAB) on students at their institutions.  

Two thirds (67%) of the responding HE institutions said that none of their students were unable to graduate this summer due to the MAB. A further 12% stated that less than 2% of their students were unable to graduate. The combined figure of 79% is an improvement on results from the same survey in June where 71% of HE institutions said that ‘less than 2% of students’ would be unable to graduate this summer because of the MAB*. In the latest polling, this left 7% responding that they were still 'unsure' of the number. It was disheartening that 4% of HEIs said that between 2% and 9% of their students were unable to graduate while 8% acknowledged that more than 10% were unable to graduate**. The remaining 2% of responding HEIs were not in negotiations and therefore were not affected by the MAB.
The poll also reconfirmed that over 80% of the HE institutions had ‘less than 10%’ of academic staff partaking in MAB. 8% had no staff participating and almost a third (32%) had between 0% and 2%. Academic staff make up around half of staff in HE institutions. 

This feedback confirming the limited and isolated impact of UCU's marking and assessment boycott across the sector is little comfort to the students who continue to bear the repercussions, nor for the HE institutions and the staff who have been working tirelessly to try to help these students. 

* www.ucea.ac.uk/news-releases/23june23 
** Within the 8%, 4% said between 10% and 24%, 3% said between 25 - 49%, 1% over 50%. 

The sector poll was held at a UCEA meeting attended by HR Directors on Wednesday 26 July. 84 HR Directors and senior HR colleagues took part in the survey. UCEA represents 143 HE institutions in New JNCHES, all of which have targeted by UCU. 

New JNCHES - www.ucea.ac.uk/our-work/collective-pay-negotiations-landing/  

ENDS

For further information: Please contact Marc Whittaker, Communications and Events Manager (m.whittaker@ucea.ac.uk) or Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership (a.fryer@ucea.ac.uk)
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