Industrial action is currently taking place at 150 UK universities, including the University of Liverpool, in relation to national disputes over pay and conditions.
From Thursday, 20 April, members of the University and College Union (UCU) are being asked to participate in Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) which includes a marking and assessment boycott. This means that a small number of staff may be limiting their activity around marking and assessment procedures.
We understand that some of you may be concerned about the boycott, but please remember that not all staff belong to UCU and that most students will be unaffected. The University will ask all staff who choose to take industrial action of any kind to prioritise work that supports the education or experience of students.
Exams and assessments
Exam and assessment papers have already been set ahead of the formal summer examination and assessment period beginning in May.
All written exams and assessments will go ahead as planned and you should continue to prepare for those as you would normally. Assessment deadlines will not be disrupted so please continue to work towards your published hand-in dates.
We are continually monitoring the situation – if disruption is expected to take place for non-written assessments, such as a presentation or in-person oral assessments for example, your School will be in touch with you over the coming weeks.
Release of exam and assessment results
Only a minority of staff are expected to undertake the assessment and marking boycott and the vast majority of marks will be released on time from noon on Monday, 3 July 2023.
A small number of marks may be delayed as a result of the action. We will know, in the coming weeks, which programmes will be affected and if this applies to you, you will be contacted directly by your School to outline the next steps in detail. Please be assured that we have robust and established processes in place to deal with the impact of disruption and enable students to progress and/or graduate.
Industrial action negotiations update
The current UCU industrial action involves 150 UK universities so we are reliant on continuing national negotiations to try to resolve the dispute.
As a result of constructive progress in negotiations between the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), Universities UK (UUK) and UCU, a number of days of planned strike action in February were cancelled and there are currently no further strike days planned.
Further information about assessment and marking procedures can be found on our results webpages. Thank you for your patience during this time.