Whilst you are waiting for your results, we’ve heard from a lot of students about the potential impacts missing marks might have on your graduate roles and further study. We’re doing all we can to work with the University to mitigate the impacts of the Marking and Assessment Boycott and protect your academic outcomes. However, it is down to the University in their negotiations with UCU to come to a resolution in the ongoing dispute.
We’ve written an open message to graduate employers, to highlight the situation and the fact that whilst you may not have your degree transcript this month, this should not stop you from moving onto the next stage in your journey.
Here is our open message:
Dear graduate employers,
Right now, our final year undergraduate students are anxiously awaiting their degree classification results. These are likely to be delayed as a result of the ongoing dispute between universities and the Universities and College Union (UCU). A marking and assessment boycott (MAB) is threatening the progression and future of the graduating class of 2023. Students have reached out to us to express their concerns around the MAB impacting their graduate job offers and future careers.
Students studying from the academic year 2019-20 up until 2023 have studied through:
- The Covid-19 global pandemic with several lockdowns, severely impacting teaching, socialising, and placement opportunities.
- Ongoing industrial action - repeatedly losing out on the quality teaching provided by academic staff who feel they have no option left but to strike.
- The Cost of Living crisis forcing many students to take up more paid work alongside their education.
The students about to embark on their careers are some of the most resilient employees you will find. They have overcome so many challenges and worked incredibly hard for their degrees.
We are imploring you to recognise the skills, dedication, hard work and perseverance they can offer you; qualities which should not be ignored in favour of the missing marks on their degree transcripts.
We are so proud to be supporting our students and making their voices heard, they deserve every success in their future careers.
#SaveOurGradJobs #GradJobPledge
What about international students and graduate visas?
Exeter is a vibrant community with students from all over the world choosing to study here and make the campus and city their home. We’re very relieved to see the Home Office is now offering some flexibility for our international students, who can now apply to extend visa permissions whilst awaiting final results. Find out more here.
What about students who are about to start postgraduate courses?
This open message also applies to universities, as we know many of you are going onto postgraduate study at Exeter and other institutions. We would expect that these universities are all too aware of the current issues surrounding missing marks and will be in touch with those of you with offers to reassure you about your places.