This motion was passed at a GUCU branch meeting on Monday 13 June
This branch notes that:
- Goldsmiths’ proposals to invoke Emergency Academic Regulations (EARs) to mitigate the effects of the marking assessment boycott demonstrate that SMT would rather risk major sanctions from the Office for Students, and jeopardise the quality of its academic standards and students’ education, than pull back from a disastrous restructure involving unnecessary and unjustified redundancies.
- SMT are placing Goldsmiths at significant risk in invoking the EARs, in particular points B4 and B5 of the OfS conditions of registration
- SMT’s stated preferred mitigating option is to hire alternative markers, which is a serious breach of industrial relations legislation
- SMT plans to remove any requirements for second marking and moderation and remove external oversight by enabling Board of Examiner Chairs to make decisions without convening a Board of Examiners meeting
- SMT plans to assess students on a reduced numbers of credits, which will mean that the work students have submitted for recent summative assignments will not be taken into account in determining their grade
This branch believes:
- By introducing these EARs, SMT are putting academic standards and the quality of students’ degrees in jeopardy, to avoid having to address the real negative impact of the restructure, and to avoid having to negotiate sincerely with trade union representatives to resolve the dispute.
This branch resolves:
- To demand that SMT immediately withdraws the EARs and negotiates in good faith to resolve the dispute
- To call on departments and student groups to complain to Frances Corner/SMT and the OfS
- To publicise SMT’s refusal to resolve the dispute and the use of the EARs including:
- at student recruitment events
- among academic associations and external bodies
- To notify SMT that if significant progress is not made in negotiations on the current dispute, strike action will take place to target induction week and/or the first week of teaching
- To discuss escalation of action in term 1 as necessary including the possibility of indefinite strike action