Student support for university lecturers staging walkouts over pay appears to be split, according to those who spoke to BuzzFeed News.
Lecturers at 64 universities in England are on strike over Universities UK's plans to make changes to their pension scheme, which they say could leave them significantly out of pocket.
Universities UK says the changes are necessary in order to reduce a £6 billion deficit by next summer.
On one hand, students are unhappy to have classes cancelled this week – and for two weeks in March – without any plans to reschedule missed lectures, when they're paying up to £9,250 a year for a degree at an English university.
On the other, many students think it's vital to support lecturers who are striking over pay, because they want to make sure their fees are being put towards getting the best academics to teach them.
My favourite placards by far from today, brilliant work by English students for the @Bristol_UCU picket line and ma… https://t.co/8lFPpXl1X8
“I think people have started to sit back and say, ‘We’re paying an extortionate amount – where is that money going?’’ Abbie Cheeseman, a third-year history undergraduate at Royal Holloway, University of London, who supports the strikes, told BuzzFeed News.
Cheeseman, who edits the university's magazine the Orbital, said that if lecturers aren't satisfied with how much they're paid, “you can’t have a quality education and you’re not going to keep getting quality academics in the system”.
“It’s got to the point where it’s backing your own education and the future of higher education.”
"Well, there are affordability issues aren't there - we have to strike a balance" @RHULPrincipal talking to UCU mem… https://t.co/WMrfSoYH8z
University lecturers who are members of the University and College Union (UCU) are striking over changes to their pensions proposed by Universities UK.
This affects staff who receive pensions though the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which includes 64 out of 130 universities in England that were founded before 1992. They say it will leave them £10,000 a year worse off when they retire.
Staff at universities founded since 1992 are members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, so aren't affected by the changes.
“I understand that lecturers are not happy about the issue with their pensions, anybody would, but this movement is going to directly affect a lot of students,” Julianna Asouzu, a law undergraduate from London, told BuzzFeed News.
Asouzu worries that her exams will suffer as a result of the loss of teaching time, which she believes to be particularly unfair when considering the cost of university courses. When living costs are taken into account, it's estimated that the average student will finish university with around £50,000 of debt.
“I do quite a heavy course, so learning as much information as possible is important,” Asouzu continued. “I don’t think the lecturers will be able to make up for the time that has been missed.”
I had a real dilemma over whether to strike. The damage to staff pensions is unjustifiable, and evidence is emergin… https://t.co/lLqKGP0OMP
Nonetheless, she blamed those making decisions about university pensions rather than the lecturers themselves for the impact the strikes could have on her studies.
“Anybody would be angry that their pension money is being tampered with, so I understand,” she said.
“The government owe students an explanation for what is happening and a suitable solution which will make everyone happy.
“To me personally, students are bearing the consequences of this movement the most. We will be in ones directly affected by this at the end of the day.”
Imy, a physics student from London, also worries about how her studies will be affected, but believes lecturers are doing the right thing in striking.
“At the end of the day our lecturers love what they do and this strike is their last resort, so we should support them,” she said.
“I think students are just concerned about how this will affect their studies, especially those of us who are in their third year.”
Cheeseman believes an increased awareness of issues lecturers are facing around pay, alongside revelations of high wages that many university bosses were receiving, means students’ allegiances seem to have shifted towards their lecturers.
“When the strikes first got announced, it was majority against the strikes, just because people didn’t fully understand and are rightfully angry that they’re missing so much education at such a vital time of the year,” she said.
At Royal Holloway, where student magazine the Orbital has reported heavily on the issue, 77% of students supported teachers on the day of the strikes, according to a poll conducted by the university's students’ union.
“People do generally seem to be directing their anger at senior management within the college for allowing it to go on, rather than at the academics,” Cheeseman said.
“There’s just a general anger about how much senior management are paid compared to how little academics are being paid and pension cuts, and how much we’re paying to not be educated.”
The National University of Students (NUS) said it supports UCU members' decision to strike, and encouraged NUS members to support their lecturers.
“We believe that fairly rewarded staff are the cornerstone of the university experience and that the proposal by Universities UK to substantially cut the pensions of members of the USS pension scheme will be hugely damaging if implemented,” an NUS spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Universities UK said in a statement: “We remain at the negotiating table to engage with UCU on the long-term sustainability of the scheme and we continue to seek further talks. If a credible, affordable solution were to be put forward by the union, employers would want to consider it.”
They continued: “This industrial action is targeted at students. It will be young people and the next generation of students who will also suffer if their education deteriorates because employers are forced to make cuts to pay more into pensions. Employers are committed to continuing to pay in 18% to staff pensions for the next five years, double the private sector average.”