Statement to Provost - Academic Representatives
Dear Provost Michael Arthur,
As academic student representatives, we would like to express the deep discontent that the ongoing industrial action has created among us and among the whole student body and to express our support for the whole staff as they participate in industrial action from February 24th – March 20th, 2020.
As students, we enrolled in UCL because of its world-class education and staff, and the value of the knowledge being taught. However, we have been deprived of that knowledge. As we have missed and will be missing several valuable lectures and seminars, many of us believe that the integrity of our education is at stake. Countless students are coming toward us for explanations. Many are confused, many are in anger, many feel powerless.
As representatives with the interest of our constituents in mind, but as students first, we urge you to find a solution to the current situation and the current impasse. While it is almost clear that a viable solution will not be found before the end of the strike, it is our time to raise our voice. In the conflict between universities and staff, we, the students, are the ones who don’t have a voice and who bear the most harm.
Therefore, we request and demand FAIR compensation for ALL students affected by the strike. That means compensation which is proportional to the amount of academic fees paid for the missed strike days. Figures show that such compensation should equal approximately 14% of the annual fee: as an example, £1295 for UK/EU undergraduate students (£9250 x 14%), £3360 for international undergraduate students (£24000 x 14%). Postgraduate student fees are more flexible and vary depending on different factors, but the 14% rule applies to them as well.
We would also like to acknowledge the precedent set by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) which has successfully pressured universities into compensation for lost hours due to industrial action in the past. If the situation will require it, we will take our concerns to them.
We trust you will hear our requests.
Sincerely,
Academic Representatives – University College London
This letter has been signed by 300 Academic Representatives