Union members at the University of Nottingham have warned that a planned marking and assessment boycott could prevent students from graduating if not resolved.
The University and College Union (UCU) announced that Nottingham staff will boycott all marking and assessments in response to leaked proposals that could see 600 jobs cut.
The university said that “nothing has been finalised regarding redundancies”, with a council meeting set to take place on 6 May to discuss the proposals.
The boycott is planned to start on 20 May after 87 per cent of UCU members voted yes to the action on a turnout of 64 per cent.
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The union warned that the industrial action would see all marking and assessments boycotted for the rest of the academic year, “effectively prevent[ing] students from graduating”.
“While we respect our employees’ right to take industrial action, the fact this is being done to create maximum disruption for our students at an already stressful time, and before the draft business case has been discussed, is really disappointing,” a Nottingham spokesperson said.
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They added that there would be support in place to minimise disruption and that the proposals are “subject to meaningful consultation with the unions”.
More than 300 staff members have already left the institution in recent years under voluntary redundancy schemes and the university also announced plans in December to suspend recruitment to 42 courses.
The union said it had reached an agreement with management during the previous phase of cuts that no worker would be “forced out” until at least the end of October 2026, and that the university would “meaningfully engage with UCU to avoid course suspensions in time for the 2026 recruitment cycle”.
In light of the latest leaked cost-saving proposals, UCU said it believed the university had now “broken” that commitment.
“T University of Nottingham is on notice that it needs to rule out compulsory redundancies and work with staff to protect jobs and student provision,” said UCU general secretary Jo Grady.
It comes as a strike ballot also opens to UCU members at London South Bank University (LSBU) over proposals to divide academic workers into two “career pathways”, with some existing academics moved into new “teaching and scholarship” roles.
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New starters to the university may also be denied access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, UCU said.
Tara Dean, provost at LSBU, said the proposals, which the university is currently consulting on, will create more teaching time for students, support financial sustainability and retain “a similar number of academic jobs”.
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She said the number of occupied posts would be reduced by approximately 15 across the university.
The union has asked management to halt the proposals and “properly engage with the union”.
A successful result in the ballot could pave the way for industrial action to begin this academic year, UCU said.
“LSBU has launched one of the most serious attacks on academic staff in higher education,” said LSBU UCU branch secretary Federica Ross. “If these measures are allowed to proceed, they risk setting a dangerous precedent. That is why we are fighting to stop them.”
Dean said the university has and will “continue to run meaningful engagement including all-staff town halls, local sessions for academics alongside individual consultation meetings where we are asking for their feedback on ideas on how our proposal might work”.
“We will work to ensure minimal disruption to students in the event of strike action and continue to be open to discussion and negotiation with the unions,” she said.
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