Queen Mary head threatens to close course over marking boycott

A UK university has warned it may have to suspend recruitment on to courses affected by a marking boycott in what the University and College Union (UCU) called a “vindictive” threat intended to “break” the industrial action.

Colin Bailey, the principal of Queen Mary University of London, told the head of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film that the institution would not be able to “take new students onto programmes where staff refuse to deliver the promised education”, according to leaked emails.

The message came after delays in delivering final marks to students studying film because some of their lecturers have refused to grade exams and essays as part of a dispute over pay, working conditions and the university’s previous threats to deduct full wages from striking staff.

Film studies academics have hit back in an open letter to Professor Bailey, condemning “consistent potentially unlawful threats to the future of our department and livelihoods” and his “relentless hostility”.

Queen Mary is one of the few universities still affected by the marking boycott, which began in May, after most other branches paused the action, having secured local settlements.

Staff taking part have been threatened with 42 days’ worth of deductions in their pay while students have criticised the quality of feedback given by temporary markers drafted in as cover.

The emails show that Professor Bailey repeated his concern that recruitment cannot take place on to programmes “where we have clear evidence that we will not be able to provide the education and assessment promised”, having received confirmation that the union is planning another ballot on whether to continue industrial action into the autumn.

“It is therefore important that we apply correct pay deductions from all those staff who have participated in any industrial action, and that the policy agreed remains in place for what will be annual strikes going forward,” he added.

The open letter in response – initially signed by 14 academics within the department and since supported by 2,000 students, staff and film scholars and practitioners – accused Professor Bailey of making the university an “outlier” in dealing with the dispute with “vindictiveness and intimidation, instead of negotiation and reconciliation.”

They pointed out that the department had come first in its subject area nationally in the Research Excellence Framework and staff have “worked for years to earn the best for the university”.

Staff expressed dismay that the department’s future now appears to be under threat and said their experiences have "had a significant psychological toll on us”, and a knock-on effect on the mental and physical well-being of their children.

They called on the university’s council to investigate and repeated their desire to negotiate a solution to the dispute and for the “threats” to be rescinded.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said threatening to close a “thriving” degree programme to “break” industrial action “cements QMUL’s status as one of the most vindictive and anti-worker employers in the country”.

“It is also a direct attack on the education of students. Colin Bailey and QMUL senior management should feel nothing but shame, and must immediately withdraw their threats,” she added.

A Queen Mary spokesman said that the industrial action was only impacting a “very small” number of courses – with 2 per cent of staff taking part – and the institution’s “first priority” was to protect students’ education as it would be “hugely unfair” for their experience to be “compromised”.

“We respect colleagues’ right to strike, and we acknowledge the issues behind the national dispute. Equally, when accepting students on to the small number of affected courses, we must also consider our duty to ensure all our students receive the support and education they deserve,” the spokesman added. 

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com