Queen's University Belfast: Degree impasse 'giving students sleepless nights'

QUB acknowledged that the experience had been "distressing" for students

"It's scary and it's uncertain and there's been plenty of sleepless nights for all of us."

Lara Magee has just completed her master's degree in architecture studies at Queen's University Belfast (QUB).

But she and others on the course have faced and continue to face uncertainty.

Over 750 students at the university can graduate this summer but will not have their degree title and their result or classification confirmed.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at universities across the UK have been engaged in long-running industrial action over pay, working conditions and pensions.

That means some staff at Queen's are taking part in a boycott of marking and assessment and that has meant that final marks cannot be confirmed for hundreds of final-year students.

Queen's University is not alone in facing that situation.

On Friday, for instance, the University of Cambridge said that around half of 4,500 undergraduates expected to graduate this summer could be affected and some may not receive their degrees.

'Token degree'

Initially Ms Magee and other students on the master's degree course in architecture at QUB did not think they would be able to graduate at all this summer.

The number of those affected was then reduced to less than 10, but on Friday the university finally confirmed that all of those on the course had enough marks to attend graduation.

Lara Magee, who has completed a Master in Architecture degree at Queen's University Belfast

But, like hundreds of other students, they will graduate without a degree title or classification.

"It's a token degree at the minute. It's not what we've paid for or signed up for," Ms Magee told BBC News NI.

"It's extremely emotional; it's upsetting; it's worrying."

"All of our year group has had countless phone calls and discussions about all this and we all do feel the same.

"My voice is just as much their voice."

• Students protest as hundreds get provisional results

• 'Futures at risk' over Queen's marking boycott

• QUB students may not be awarded degrees this year

Qualifying as an architect can mean a seven-year journey.

Ms Magee, for instance, has taken a three-year undergraduate degree and a two-year master's degree.

She and others are now expected to spend a year or two working with an architect's practice, and take further exams.

'Placeholder degrees'

But it is moving on to that stage which could be affected by the students not getting their master's qualification finally confirmed.

Ms Magee said that is because their qualifications have to be accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

"We are fully behind RIBA as our accrediting body as they can't just hand out these degrees, and rightly so," she said.

"But so far you could say that we're getting a party in July with placeholder degrees.

"So, no classification or accreditation tied to that."

For fellow master in architecture student Micah Crenshaw, the situation has been very stressful.

"I feel that we've not really been provided with answers to the questions we've asked," he said.

Micah Crenshaw has been finding the situation very stressful

"We've also not been provided with the degrees we've put all our time and our effort and our money into.

"We've fulfilled more than our end of the bargain in terms of maintaining a high level of attendance, submitting work on time, continually keeping up and keeping on par with expectations."

Not having a degree title or classification confirmed could have consequences for what the students can do next and what they can earn.

Ms Magee said there were "a lot of unknowns" for her and others.

"I know from architect's practices that we've talked to, they're just as confused as we are," she said.

'Useless piece of paper'

The uncertainty has left Mr Crenshaw despondent.

"The piece of paper is pretty well useless and, as of right now, the two years of the master's course which we've just done don't really mean a whole lot," he said.

"I'm disappointed that it's come to this, disappointed in the way it's been handled.

"I feel that the students in architecture have been at the forefront of progressing this, at the forefront of discussions.

"We shouldn't really be leading, we should be supporting - but we are the ones forcing decisions and forcing the hand of teaching staff and university staff."

Students gathered outside Queen's University on Thursday

Prof Stuart Elborn from QUB acknowledged that the experience had been "distressing" for students.

He said he had met with students on the architecture course earlier this week.

"We are in a very difficult situation, with national industrial action which is impacting students," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.

"This is a really awful situation for students to be in," he continued.

"We've been working extremely hard in difficult circumstances to try to keep students up to date with correct information."

"We will keep that dialogue going with our students, and hopefully with students, and our staff - even those on the boycott - and ourselves, we will find a solution to this over the next number of days."