Draft letter to students regarding marking and assessment boycott

To keep your students informed please use this draft letter.

Dear students,

Beginning on November 6th, members of the University and College Union (UCU) are undertaking a boycott of setting and marking course work and assignments. Other teaching will carry on as normal.

The reason for this is that our pensions are threatened with substantial cuts. Needless to say, the boycott is not a decision we have taken lightly. UCU’s members don’t want to take any action which damages the interests of students. But we believe that it’s in your interests that universities are able to recruit and retain excellent, highly motivated staff. We believe these proposals put that in jeopardy.

Our members are the people who support and teach millions of young people and they are passionate about what they do. We hope that you will support us in turn. For more information about the dispute, have a look at the student briefing or the UCU blog.

I’m asking for your support in this action. We believe that if student bodies throughout the country make their opinions known to vice-chancellors, there is a good chance that the employers will moderate their position. Please email vc@sheffield.ac.uk calling on him to press the national negotiators to produce a fair and sustainable proposal.

 
Best wishes,