Students forced to graduate without final grades due to marking boycott.
Coursework has been left unmarked as teaching staff from the UCU continue to walk out over pay and working conditions.
Last updated 18th Jul 2023
Hundreds of students across the UK will not be graduating with a final mark for their degrees as industrial action between staff and the universities continue.
University staff have been taking strike action over pay and working conditions, with this marking boycott being just the latest form of industrial action.
But this boycott is now leaving students who should be celebrating their graduations worried with uncertainty about their future.
Jazz Walsh is a final-year student at Cardiff University. He told us he is feeling scammed by the university, saying 'I like to use the analogy that if I paid for university with a credit card I would be reporting it as fraud right now'.
He says that not getting his grades back after three years of hard work is hurtful for him.
'It's absolutely infuriating not getting our results back. It's just that final nail in the coffin.
'The qualifications we have worked so hard for and have paid so much are just being destroyed entirely'.
Jazz also explained that several of his friends have had to put graduate schemes and master's courses on hold as, without their grades, they cannot take part.
'Their future is on a knife edge'.
Despite his frustrations, Jazz explained that it isn't the staff on strike he is angry at, but the university for not finding a solution to the industrial action.
'The university has known about this issue for such a long time, yet still hasn't come to a resolution with staff to ensure they are treated and paid fairly'.
When asked what Cardiff University has told students waiting for their grades, Jazz says the university hasn't said anything, and he doesn't know if he even will get a grade.
'We haven't been told anything about the modules that are currently missing. We've been told its a national issue and nothing to do with the university yet the transcript that has our grades on says Cardiff university at the top
'We pay our fees we expect a service to be delivered and it has not. We've not been told what is going on.
'The real issue is the unknown and the anxiety that has been caused by it.'
We put the concerns of students like Jazz to Cardiff University.
In a statement, they said:
'Along with many other universities in the UK, Cardiff University is experiencing disruption as a result of the marking and assessment boycott called by the University and College Union (UCU). The impact of this action is concentrated in a few of our Academic Schools.
'We have now been able to assess the impact of the boycott. The majority of our final year students will receive a classified degree (e.g. a 1st, 2:1, 2:2). Unfortunately, a number of our students will receive an unclassified degree for the time being. For a further small number of our students, we are currently unable to provide an outcome for their degree.
'We are painfully aware that those students who are affected are feeling deeply disappointed, worried and anxious. We know that this situation is having a significant impact on their future plans.'
They also say that if students have any further concerns about when they will receive their grades, they should contact their school within the University.