Students gathered today (22/05) outside Great St. Mary’s Church as part of a joint demonstration across the country aimed at preventing disruption to exams and graduations.
The rally was organised by the #SettleTheDispute campaign, which was launched last Sunday (14/05). Students assembled by Great St. Mary’s Church and shared speeches in front of the Senate House.
Safa, who attended the rally, told Varsity: “What was most inspiring was to see how collective organising from staff and students is being mobilised, especially during exam term. I attended the rally to support striking academics, and to demand that the university allow us to graduate, and I remain hopeful for successful negotiations that work for students and staff.”
The Marking & Assessment boycott began on 20 April, as part of a dispute over staff pay and working conditions. Earlier today, the University of Cambridge issued a joint statement with their branch of the University and College Union (UCU), calling for the resumption of negotiations between UCEA and UCU to reach an agreed settlement. The statement comes after over 1,400 Cambridge students signed an open letter to the University demanding a public request of this nature.
Bella Cross, a current finalist studying History and Politics and one of the rally organisers, told Varsity: “We are absolutely delighted with the turnout today at the rally. Student staff solidarity is strong, and together we have made the impossible happen. We need the uni to keep up the pressure on the UCEA to end this dispute and let us graduate.”
Tara, another attendee of the rally, said: “It was so heartening to see students and staff standing together against the marketisation of education, in recognition that this is something that hurts us both - their struggle is our struggle, and it was great to see both groups so well represented.”
Anika, another student, said: “I attended the rally because so many of the academics who have given their time to teach and support me are facing a financially uncertain future. If students want to keep receiving the high standard of education our supervisors give us, we need to support them in whatever way we feel able.”
The University’s statement released today expressed a desire for the dispute to be resolved “urgently”: “No-one wants students to suffer further, and we are deeply sympathetic to the strength of feeling in our student body.”
