Assessment updates

The national University and College Union (UCU) has announced plans for a nationwide "Action Short of a Strike". What this means is that there may be a a marking and assessment boycott, which could affect your studies. 

The majority of staff will be assessing and marking as usual, but a small number of staff are in the union and may be participating in the action. You will receive an email from your School Office if your assessment is affected.  

All staff at London Met are committed to ensuring you have every chance to succeed in your studies. During the pandemic and in previous disputes, we have always ensured that students are able to complete their studies and graduate. We will be putting in place actions to ensure you can progress to the next stage of study or graduate as expected. 

You should continue to study and prepare for your exams or other assessments that are scheduled according to published deadlines. 

We understand that the news of the boycott may make you feel anxious or concerned. Our priority is to minimise the impact of this boycott and we will do everything we can to support you with your studies and wellbeing. 

Your School Office is your key point of contact for the most up-to-date information on your modules and course. 

Our Student Services team is available if you are concerned about the boycott or anything else you may be worried about.  You can also contact your course rep or the Students’ Union’s Advice Service for confidential, independent advice and support. 

We will be writing to you again to confirm our arrangements for any students affected by the boycott. 

Action short of a strike is when staff take other action different to a strike, such as limiting some work-related activities.

This means that some staff may choose not to carry out marking and associated assessment activities, such as exam invigilation, or preparation for exam boards. 

It is difficult at this stage to predict the impact because not all staff are members of UCU and not all members will take part in a marking and assessment boycott. The majority of staff will be assessing and marking as usual. You should assume your exams and assessments are going ahead and prepare accordingly.

If you are a Student visa holder, please contact the International Student Advice Service if you have any questions about how the boycott may affect your visa.

We will use a profiling approach to any missing marks. This is in keeping with the approach of other universities. At the module level boards, where possible, we will calculate the average of the marked assessment components to determine the mark for a missing component. If this isn’t possible, then we will look at the student profile for the academic year at the Award and Progression Board and use the average from that to determine any missing marks. The examiners will be asked to consider whether a sufficient proportion of the assessment has been completed in order to confirm that the learning outcomes for the course have been achieved. If an insufficient proportion of assessment has been completed the students’ overall mark will not be able to be confirmed until the assessments can be marked.

We are committed to supporting our students during this period with a range of services available. Our Student Services team is available if you are concerned about the boycott or anything else you may be worried about. You can also contact the Students' Union's Advice Service for confidential, independent advice and support.

Your assessment will be marked in keeping with the original timeline your tutor will have provided to you unless you are affected by the boycott. We will be writing to you again to confirm our arrangements for any students affected by the boycott.

No it will not. You will be able to attend your graduation day.