Thread by @sheffielducu

Summary of our letter to VC Koen Lamberts on the Marking and Assessment Boycott, 23/05/23 👇🏻

We have been extremely disappointed in the approach that @UCEA1 have adopted in this dispute, including their misuse of HESA data on sector finances. 1/10

In a press release on 3 May, @UCEA1 cites a sectoral deficit, despite the report it is based on warning that it “is not reflective of the pure underlying financial performance of these institutions for this year”. 2/10

Instead, as you will be aware, this artefact is caused by a pension adjustment including the demonstrably unrepresentative 2020 #USS valuation; absent this paper cost, the sector has yet again posted a sizeable surplus. 3/10

Secondly, reaching a healthy resolution is not possible without the resumption of negotiations, which @UCEA1 have continued to refuse, even as recently as 19 May. 4/10

There is still time to bring this dispute to a close and avoid major disruptions to students’ graduation and progression, but every day that @UCEA1 makes the active choice to delay makes it less likely that this will be possible. 5/10

While this dispute cannot be resolved in Sheffield alone, that does not mean that we have no impact on the wider dispute. As a member of @UCEA1, we ask you to ask them to cease their public misrepresentation of sector finances and to return to the negotiation table. 6/10

At a local level, we are very disappointed that the energy of University leadership seems to be focused predominantly on circumventing and mitigating the marking and assessment boycott, rather than on trying to bring the overall dispute to a close. 7/10

The University’s position on partial performance could lead to significant financial distress by locking them out of their jobs for an extended period, in some cases on the basis of just a few hours of uncompleted work. 8/10

It seems clear to us that the threat to lock people out of their jobs until a pre-specified date, even where there is no marking and assessment work left to carry out, has no basis in law. We ask that you withdraw your stated intention to do so at the earliest opportunity. 9/10

Lastly, the recently announced decision to pursue 100% deductions from staff who are not themselves participating in the boycott, but refuse to take on additional marking, is punitive, and may have unintended consequences. 10/10