As you know, the University & College Union (UCU) are undertaking industrial action this term. The current notified periods of strike action are:

• Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February (two days)
• Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 February (three days)
• Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 March (four days)
• Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 March (five days).

 

Many of you will be worried about the impact this may have on your academic studies. We’ve published lots of advice and information on our Essentials webpages, where you can also find information about our Impact of Strike Action on Academic Performance Process, cancelled class form, complaints form, and travel costs claim form.

 

Please familiarise yourself with this information and contact us if you have any queries. You can speak to your Academic Tutor, Support Centre, Henley Helpdesk or ISLI Teaching Office, or use our dedicated email address IndActionStudent@reading.ac.uk.

 

We’re writing to provide you with an update on our plans for using the salary deductions from staff participating in the industrial action.

 

Firstly it is our responsibility to limit the impact of industrial action for our whole community as far as we reasonably can. This means that money deducted from the salaries of staff who participate will be used to pay for activity to mitigate the effect of action in the first instance. For example, this would cover the University appointing temporary staff to support processing student Impact of Strike Action on Academic Performance forms to ensure decisions can be made quickly.

 

Once these costs have been met, we will use remaining funds on projects and initiatives to support our students and staff.

 

This year, the University Executive Board has allocated a significant proportion of the funds to install additional study space in the URS Building. Study@URS will provide more than 250 new quiet and group study spaces from 2 March for the dissertation and exam season. The building will be open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, as well as over the Easter weekend from Friday 10 to Monday 13 April, when the Library is closed.

 

Using the funds in this way means our current students will benefit immediately, including those preparing for their final exams and dissertations, as well as enhancing the experience for returning students next year.

 

We are discussing options with RUSU to identify how remaining funds can be best used to deliver maximum benefit for our community and we will keep you updated.

 

Will you be offering to cover the costs of Graduation gown hire this year?

 

Following industrial action two years ago in spring 2018, once the costs of mitigation had been met, we identified a number of projects and initiatives to sponsor in consultation with RUSU and our colleagues. These included refurbishing study space in Palmer and Chemistry, installing new student consultation pods in the Carrington Building and a contribution to RUSU’s One World One Reading campaign.

 

In recognition of the fact that these projects could not be completed in time to benefit undergraduate finalists and postgraduates finishing their studies that year, we used the remaining funds to waive the cost of Graduation gown hire for these students as a gesture of goodwill to acknowledge the disruption. This accounted for almost half the funds following the 2018 strike period.

 

Some students have requested for the funds to be used in a similar way this year, a point which RUSU has also brought to our attention. After careful review, including discussions with RUSU, we have agreed that prioritising study space and other agreed projects delivers better long-term value for a larger group of students than paying for Graduation gown hire. It is also fairer considering the impact of the industrial action has varied significantly across different Schools, with many students experiencing little or no disruption. Students graduating this year have benefited from the improvements introduced following the 2018 strike, in a way that those graduating soon after that period of industrial action could not.

 

We acknowledge, however, that some students have expressed concern about the costs of graduation. To assist those who face particular hardship, we are pleased to confirm that this year we will be allocating additional funds to our Graduation Bursary. This covers the costs for robe hire and a photograph for those students for whom participating in their graduation ceremony may be impossible without assistance. Please contact graduation@reading.ac.uk to find out more.