Lecturer strikes: Welsh graduations and degree marks delayed

Some students in Wales will either be unable to graduate on time, or have to do some without their final marks

Some students in Wales will not graduate on time or with their final grades due to a marking boycott.

Cardiff University confirmed some would graduate with an unclassified degree while Swansea University said up to 70 would have their graduations delayed.

The University and College Union boycott is part of a pay dispute.

On Wednesday, the new student union president at Cardiff University launched a petition calling for an end to the dispute.

Meanwhile, Swansea University said a "small group" - less than 70 students out of a total of 2,500 - would be unable to graduate on time as a result of the marking and assessment delays.

A spokesperson said: "We are working diligently to ensure that award outcomes are promptly confirmed for all students. We encourage our students to reach out to their faculties should they have any queries or concerns."

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In a joint statement with her fellow sabbatical officers, new students' union president at Cardiff University Angie Flores Acuña said the graduation disruption marked "another failure for students".

The petition said the support of students for those striking had been "loud and clear", adding: "Cardiff University has the power to call for an end to this dispute by publicly supporting the reopening of negotiations."By standing back and doing nothing, Cardiff University is failing students who are finishing with provisional/no degrees despite having worked so hard throughout this unprecedented period."

A Cardiff University spokesman said: "The majority of our students will receive their marks, in full, and will not be affected"

The petition calls on the university to reimburse tuition fees of those affected, retract pay deduction threats and engage in "meaningful negotiations" with striking staff.

A Cardiff University spokesman confirmed some students would receive an unclassified degree "for the time being", and the university was "currently unable to provide an outcome" for some other degrees.

The university said it was "painfully aware that those students who are affected are feeling deeply disappointed, worried and anxious" and also confirmed it was aware of the petition started by the Cardiff students' union president.

"It is important to stress that this is a national dispute over levels of pay and working conditions. The University therefore cannot solve these issues independently," it said.

"We reject in the strongest possible terms any suggestion that we are standing back and doing nothing. The Vice-Chancellor has met with local representatives and we continue to keep communication channels open with Cardiff UCU and find there are many points of agreement between us.

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"This type of language only serves to undermine the efforts of staff who have been doing everything possible, under extreme pressure and time constraints, to support those students most severely impacted."

The spokesman said graduation ceremonies will be going ahead later in July but students could postpone until 2024 if they wished.

Aberystwyth University said all students eligible to graduate would do so, 99.8% with their definitive degree marks.

The "remaining students" would be getting an honours degree, with the mark subject to be revised upwards at a later date.

Many students have supported the strikes, leading to calls for the universities to act to resolve the dispute

The University of South Wales said: "We are sincerely sorry that a small proportion of results have been affected by the marking and assessment boycott. We have contacted those students who have been affected.

"We are working hard to process and provide results as soon as possible whilst ensuring high academic standards are maintained. All final-year students will have received their initial results within the next couple of days."

Graduating students at Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Wrexham Glyndwr University and Bangor University will all receive their final marks and graduate as planned, the universities confirmed.

The action by UCU union members follows a UK-wide dispute over pay and conditions and affects 140 institutions.

It began on 20 April and the union said it would continue until employers made an improved offer on pay and conditions.