THE University of Essex has been accused of exploring options around a marking boycott which, it is claimed, would compromise students’ final grades.

The university’s branch of the University College Union (UCU), which represents lecturers and administrators, says it has received information from staff which suggests senior managers are looking to circumvent the boycott.

One way of doing so, the UCU claims, is by getting teaching staff to mark work from modules they have had no involvement in teaching.

The marking boycott is being undertaken by university staff who argue their pay has fallen by 25 per cent in 14 years.

A spokesman for the University of Essex had previously said most staff will not be participating in the action and yesterday a spokesman for Essex University strongly denied the UCU’s claims assessments would be marked by staff who were not appropriately qualified

The UCU has said students whose assessments aren’t marked will automatically be failed, meaning they have to resit their exams with their marks capped at a maximum of 40 per cent.

Staff participating in the marking boycott at University of Essex could have their pay cut by 80 per cent.

A member of the Essex UCU committee, who did not wish to be named, said the university’s plan to get other staff to mark assessments risked students’ final degree classification.

They said: “I think everyone would agree that a basic educational standard is that people who mark a piece of work need to have the experience and expertise to be able to judge the quality of that work.

“We are concerned that some of the practises that we are learning about don’t meet that basic requirement.

“We risk having a cohort of students whose degree qualifications are in question.”

What University of Essex said: 

A spokesman for the University of Essex strongly denied the UCU’s claims assessments would be marked by staff not appropriately qualified, and added the university’s Student Union is against the marking boycott.

“The vast majority of students are unaffected by the boycott. Throughout, the University continues to follow all our established policies and procedures to maintain academic quality and standards in line with our expectations, including marking being undertaken by appropriately qualified staff.

“All student outcomes will be agreed in line with published rules of assessment and other standard precedent, policy, and practice through the Boards of Examiners.

"Our focus continues to be on ensuring that all our students are able to progress and graduate as expected where they meet the learning outcomes of their course.

“Our student body has stated its opposition to the marking and assessment boycott due to the disproportionate potential impact it might have on students. Despite this, UCU has taken the decision to proceed with this course of action.

“We continue to work extremely hard to safeguard our students’ learning outcomes and student experience. We are aware of the worry the situation may cause, and are communicating regularly with our students, ensuring they know that support is available, should they need it.”