University and College Union (UCU) Action – Frequently Asked Questions for Students Q – Why is the industrial action taking place? A – Staff who are members of the University and College Union (UCU) have been asked to take part in strike action and Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) as part of a dispute over proposed redundancies in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The redundancies are part of a wider restructure in the Faculty to enable re-investment in areas of specialism. Further information is available here. Q – When will the action take place? A – Strike action may take place during all or some of the period from 24 May – 11 June 2021. Staff who are members of UCU have also been asked to take part in Action Short of a Strike for the period of the dispute but the direct impact on students at this time is likely to be low. Q – What is Action Short of a Strike? A – Staff who take Action Short of a Strike will be doing the following: Working to their contracts (for example, not working additional hours) Not covering for absent colleagues or vacant posts Not undertaking any voluntary activities Not sharing materials relating to lectures cancelled owing to strike action Not scheduling lectures cancelled owing to strike action Q – Why has this dispute not been resolved to avoid industrial action? A – In January this year, the University began the formal process of collective consultation with our local branch of the University and College Union (UCU) over proposed redundancies in our Faculty of Health and Life Sciences which are part of a wider restructure in the Faculty to enable re-investment in areas of specialism. Making proposals of redundancy is a difficult decision for any organisation and the University has been engaged in collective consultation with UCU, as well as the other campus trade unions, since January over the proposals, to try and resolve the dispute. A revised process, announced in May, reduces the number of colleagues potentially at risk of redundancy from 47 to 32. The University’s total workforce exceeds 7,000. Consultation over these proposals is ongoing and has already been extended to allow for further discussion. It is regrettable that UCU has now called for industrial action before the consultation process has concluded and all of us at the University hope that a resolution to the current dispute will be found. We have explained the background to the issues in dispute on our intranet pages. Q – Will my teaching or assessment be affected? A – At this stage the scale of likely disruption is unclear, given that only a minority of our academic, professional and managerial staff are members of the UCU, which has called the strike, and not all of them support this action. Some may decide not to strike at all and some may not strike on all 14 days. We expect that the majority of staff will be working as normal during the period of strike action, but some areas of the University are likely to experience higher levels of industrial action than others. We have well-established and robust mitigation measures that take account of a wide range of scenarios to minimise disruption to our students. We will be asking staff to prioritise your teaching and marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will have an impact upon your progression or your graduation. We have processes in place to ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards will be upheld. Q – How will I know if my teaching sessions are going to be cancelled? A – Although the majority of teaching will have been completed for the current academic year by the time of the industrial action, for those with teaching or supervisory sessions scheduled during the period of industrial action, please remember that as staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, unfortunately we cannot give you advance notice of cancelled sessions, although some of your lecturers may do so. It is therefore important that you assume all activities are going ahead, and that you attend as planned unless you hear definitively from your lecturer or School Office that a teaching event will not take place. If a member of staff does not arrive for a teaching session at its planned start time, please wait for a few minutes to be sure that they are not late before you leave. If a member of staff takes strike action on one day, it should not be assumed that they will continue to do so on other days. Q – What do I do if my tutor or lecturer doesn’t arrive for a session? A – Lecturers have to inform the University that they have taken action when they return to work so your department will be aware of any sessions which have been missed. If your session is cancelled by your lecturer or they do not deliver a scheduled session please let your school office know. Where missed teaching sessions may have an impact on some coursework or exam questions, we have processes in place for our Board of Examiners to ensure that your attainment and progression is not unduly affected, whilst maintaining academic standards. Q – Will my assignment deadlines move back? A – All students should continue to submit assignments to existing deadlines. You will be informed of any changes to the dates for the return of marked work, which may need to be delayed due to strike action. Q – Will I get my marks on time? A – We will be asking staff to prioritise your teaching and marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will have an impact upon your progression or your graduation. Our processes ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards are upheld. Q – I am a research student. How will I know if my supervisory sessions are going ahead? A – For those students who have supervisory sessions scheduled during the period of industrial action, please remember that as staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, unfortunately we cannot give you advance notice of cancelled sessions, although your supervisor may do so. It is therefore important that you assume all activities are going ahead, and that you attend as planned unless you hear definitively from your supervisor or School Office that a session will not take place. If you have any concerns about the level of supervision you have received during the industrial action, please contact your School or Institute Director of Postgraduate Research. If you have missed a supervisory meeting you are encouraged to catch up as soon as possible. Q – My viva voce examination is scheduled to take place during the industrial action. What do I do? A – For those students with viva voce examinations scheduled on a date coinciding with the planned period of industrial action it is important to assume the viva is still going ahead. You should attend as planned unless you hear definitively from the examiners or the LDC Student Experience Team that the viva will not take place. We will be contacting all examiners individually in advance of viva examinations to confirm their attendance. As staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, we cannot guarantee advance notice of cancelled viva examinations, unless examiners choose to inform us. As viva voce examinations are individually planned in advance, they can be re-scheduled on a case-by-case basis if affected by industrial action. If you have any concerns related to your viva voce examination please contact the LDC Student Experience Team pgrs@liverpool.ac.uk Q – My Independent Progress Assessment Panel (IPAP) is scheduled to take place during the industrial action. What do I do? A – For those students with an IPAP meeting scheduled on a date during the planned period of industrial action it is important to assume the IPAP is still going ahead. If an IPAP is cancelled or does not go ahead as planned please contact your School or Institute PGR Administrator here. Q – What if I need more support? A – Our services are operating as normal and if you feel you need to access some extra support at this time, we would urge you to do so. Our Student Services offer comprehensive advice, support and information on a wide range of non-academic issues and services include counselling, mental health advice, disability advice, advice for international students, and money guidance. The Alsop Building on campus is accessible by appointment if you are in Liverpool but the team are also using Microsoft Teams to run virtual appointments. To book please contact via phone or email between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or use the Online Booking System. If you are a research student, in the first instance your supervisor will usually be the right person for you to talk to about any issues relating to the impact of the industrial action. If for any reason you are unable to do this, please get in touch with your Department or your School Director of Postgraduate Research for further advice and guidance. Alternatively, you may wish to contact your Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research. You will find your School/Institute or Faculty Director’s contact information here. Q – Will I receive any compensation for the effects of industrial action? A – At present we do not believe that compensation will be necessary. We will be asking staff to prioritise marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will impact upon your progression or your graduation. We have processes in place to ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards will be upheld. If following this you remain dissatisfied you can make a complaint using the amended version of the Student Complaints Procedure which is designed to be used during periods of major disruption. The current industrial action is covered by this procedure, which can be found here and as part of the complaint you should indicate the outcome you are seeking. Q – Who do I contact if I would like to make a complaint and how will my complaint be handled? A – If your issue has not been resolved through speaking to your School office, then you can submit a complaint using the amended version of the Student Complaints Procedure which is designed to be used during periods of major disruption. The current industrial action is covered by this procedure. The procedure can be found here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/student-administration/policies-procedures/complaints/.
University and College Union (UCU) Action – Frequently Asked Questions for Students Q – Why is the industrial action taking place? A – Staff who are members of the University and College Union (UCU) have been asked to take part in strike action and Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) as part of a dispute over proposed redundancies in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The redundancies are part of a wider restructure in the Faculty to enable re-investment in areas of specialism. Further information is available here. Q – When will the action take place? A – Strike action may take place during all or some of the period from 24 May – 11 June 2021. Staff who are members of UCU have also been asked to take part in Action Short of a Strike for the period of the dispute but the direct impact on students at this time is likely to be low. Q – What is Action Short of a Strike? A – Staff who take Action Short of a Strike will be doing the following: Working to their contracts (for example, not working additional hours) Not covering for absent colleagues or vacant posts Not undertaking any voluntary activities Not sharing materials relating to lectures cancelled owing to strike action Not scheduling lectures cancelled owing to strike action Q – Why has this dispute not been resolved to avoid industrial action? A – In January this year, the University began the formal process of collective consultation with our local branch of the University and College Union (UCU) over proposed redundancies in our Faculty of Health and Life Sciences which are part of a wider restructure in the Faculty to enable re-investment in areas of specialism. Making proposals of redundancy is a difficult decision for any organisation and the University has been engaged in collective consultation with UCU, as well as the other campus trade unions, since January over the proposals, to try and resolve the dispute. A revised process, announced in May, reduces the number of colleagues potentially at risk of redundancy from 47 to 32. The University’s total workforce exceeds 7,000. Consultation over these proposals is ongoing and has already been extended to allow for further discussion. It is regrettable that UCU has now called for industrial action before the consultation process has concluded and all of us at the University hope that a resolution to the current dispute will be found. We have explained the background to the issues in dispute on our intranet pages. Q – Will my teaching or assessment be affected? A – At this stage the scale of likely disruption is unclear, given that only a minority of our academic, professional and managerial staff are members of the UCU, which has called the strike, and not all of them support this action. Some may decide not to strike at all and some may not strike on all 14 days. We expect that the majority of staff will be working as normal during the period of strike action, but some areas of the University are likely to experience higher levels of industrial action than others. We have well-established and robust mitigation measures that take account of a wide range of scenarios to minimise disruption to our students. We will be asking staff to prioritise your teaching and marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will have an impact upon your progression or your graduation. We have processes in place to ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards will be upheld. Q – How will I know if my teaching sessions are going to be cancelled? A – Although the majority of teaching will have been completed for the current academic year by the time of the industrial action, for those with teaching or supervisory sessions scheduled during the period of industrial action, please remember that as staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, unfortunately we cannot give you advance notice of cancelled sessions, although some of your lecturers may do so. It is therefore important that you assume all activities are going ahead, and that you attend as planned unless you hear definitively from your lecturer or School Office that a teaching event will not take place. If a member of staff does not arrive for a teaching session at its planned start time, please wait for a few minutes to be sure that they are not late before you leave. If a member of staff takes strike action on one day, it should not be assumed that they will continue to do so on other days. Q – What do I do if my tutor or lecturer doesn’t arrive for a session? A – Lecturers have to inform the University that they have taken action when they return to work so your department will be aware of any sessions which have been missed. If your session is cancelled by your lecturer or they do not deliver a scheduled session please let your school office know. Where missed teaching sessions may have an impact on some coursework or exam questions, we have processes in place for our Board of Examiners to ensure that your attainment and progression is not unduly affected, whilst maintaining academic standards. Q – Will my assignment deadlines move back? A – All students should continue to submit assignments to existing deadlines. You will be informed of any changes to the dates for the return of marked work, which may need to be delayed due to strike action. Q – Will I get my marks on time? A – We will be asking staff to prioritise your teaching and marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will have an impact upon your progression or your graduation. Our processes ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards are upheld. Q – I am a research student. How will I know if my supervisory sessions are going ahead? A – For those students who have supervisory sessions scheduled during the period of industrial action, please remember that as staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, unfortunately we cannot give you advance notice of cancelled sessions, although your supervisor may do so. It is therefore important that you assume all activities are going ahead, and that you attend as planned unless you hear definitively from your supervisor or School Office that a session will not take place. If you have any concerns about the level of supervision you have received during the industrial action, please contact your School or Institute Director of Postgraduate Research. If you have missed a supervisory meeting you are encouraged to catch up as soon as possible. Q – My viva voce examination is scheduled to take place during the industrial action. What do I do? A – For those students with viva voce examinations scheduled on a date coinciding with the planned period of industrial action it is important to assume the viva is still going ahead. You should attend as planned unless you hear definitively from the examiners or the LDC Student Experience Team that the viva will not take place. We will be contacting all examiners individually in advance of viva examinations to confirm their attendance. As staff do not have to inform the University in advance that they intend to take strike action, we cannot guarantee advance notice of cancelled viva examinations, unless examiners choose to inform us. As viva voce examinations are individually planned in advance, they can be re-scheduled on a case-by-case basis if affected by industrial action. If you have any concerns related to your viva voce examination please contact the LDC Student Experience Team pgrs@liverpool.ac.uk Q – My Independent Progress Assessment Panel (IPAP) is scheduled to take place during the industrial action. What do I do? A – For those students with an IPAP meeting scheduled on a date during the planned period of industrial action it is important to assume the IPAP is still going ahead. If an IPAP is cancelled or does not go ahead as planned please contact your School or Institute PGR Administrator here. Q – What if I need more support? A – Our services are operating as normal and if you feel you need to access some extra support at this time, we would urge you to do so. Our Student Services offer comprehensive advice, support and information on a wide range of non-academic issues and services include counselling, mental health advice, disability advice, advice for international students, and money guidance. The Alsop Building on campus is accessible by appointment if you are in Liverpool but the team are also using Microsoft Teams to run virtual appointments. To book please contact via phone or email between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or use the Online Booking System. If you are a research student, in the first instance your supervisor will usually be the right person for you to talk to about any issues relating to the impact of the industrial action. If for any reason you are unable to do this, please get in touch with your Department or your School Director of Postgraduate Research for further advice and guidance. Alternatively, you may wish to contact your Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research. You will find your School/Institute or Faculty Director’s contact information here. Q – Will I receive any compensation for the effects of industrial action? A – At present we do not believe that compensation will be necessary. We will be asking staff to prioritise marking of assessments within their workload and although there may be a delay to the marking of some assessments, we do not envisage this will impact upon your progression or your graduation. We have processes in place to ensure that exam boards can operate effectively, that marks can be confirmed and that the standard of our awards will be upheld. If following this you remain dissatisfied you can make a complaint using the amended version of the Student Complaints Procedure which is designed to be used during periods of major disruption. The current industrial action is covered by this procedure, which can be found here and as part of the complaint you should indicate the outcome you are seeking. Q – Who do I contact if I would like to make a complaint and how will my complaint be handled? A – If your issue has not been resolved through speaking to your School office, then you can submit a complaint using the amended version of the Student Complaints Procedure which is designed to be used during periods of major disruption. The current industrial action is covered by this procedure. The procedure can be found here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/student-administration/policies-procedures/complaints/.