Reminder – Emergency Meeting – preparing the MAB – today 1-3pm

You can also see some information on the MAB in the form of national and local FAQs below.

Important: we are requesting that our members do not inform management in advance as to whether they will be taking part in the Marking and Assessment Boycott. Whether or not you are able to take part in the MAB, you can show solidarity to those who will be, by not giving management this information in advance.

Agenda for today’s MAB session:

1. 13.00 – Introduction, welcome, news
2. Initial general overview of MAB plus Q & A – what is a MAB, when is it happening, what is UCL saying?
3. 13.15 – Experience from another branch (speaker), plus questions.
4. 13.30 – Organising locally: how Reps and local marking teams, working together.

Break

5. 14.00 – The difficulties of MAB-ing – what we need to be prepared for
6. 14.15 – Break out rooms – organising the MAB in your department, specific local issues, questions

7. 14.30 – Plenary discussion from breakout rooms
8. 14.50 – Volunteering to set up/join MAB support groups:

• a fundraising team
• a publicity team (to coordinate publicity including social media campaign)
• an events team to run periodic events on campus (including social events)

UCL UCU Executive Committee

Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB), national and local FAQs

The national UCU has produced a comprehensive list of national FAQs about Marking and Assessment Boycotts to help members understand the MAB.

You can access these FAQs online here. The employers have been given notice that a marking boycott will start on 20 April. If the date changes, we will let members know.

In addition we have put together the below FAQs using questions from previous UCL UCU General Meetings and suggestions from members.

1. How will a MAB work at UCL?

Marking and assessment at UCL varies a great deal from course to course, dept to dept. in terms of timing, assessment formats, and staff involved in the process.  There cannot be a National or even UCL UCU guideline that could cover all of these variations.

The basic principle is to refuse to do work that involves setting of contributory (summative) assessments, marking those assessments, or supporting those assessments (e.g., processing papers and marks). Any member of staff involved in those processes can take part in a MAB.

The MAB covers any contributory work that needs to be assessed, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, coursework or final examinations. It includes final grade work and work towards progression. It covers activities such as marking, second marking, invigilating of exams, participation in exam boards, and processing of exam or coursework marks.

A key principle for effective and supportive MAB is that the detail of its implementation is taken together by colleagues at an appropriate ‘level’ or location. In many cases this will be at module, programme team, and/or department level.

Therefore we urge colleagues in Programme teams and departments to meet as soon as possible to discuss how they will implement the MAB in their programme/department.  This does not mean that everybody involved in a particular set of marking has to participate in the MAB for it to be effective. Rather, those who do participate need to work together and support each other in implementing it. UCL UCU reps will be able to discuss plans with individuals and groups, and provide support where required.         

None of us want to carry out an MAB.  We all recognise that an MAB will be upsetting for students  but it will also be upsetting and stressful for us. That’s why we must work together on this action.

2. Do MAB’s work?

A: Yes. Some of the more important victories of the union have been won by MABs, especially in combination with strike action. In 2006 a MAB was successful at forcing employers to give us a proper pay settlement. Over the summer of 2022 over 20 UCU branches won local concessions and disputes using local MABs.

3. Given that not everyone is assessing or marking, and some colleagues do not mark at all, how can other colleagues participate/support this industrial action?

A: Those who cannot take part directly in the MAB will be asked to support people who are, by donating to a fund that covers salary in case UCL decides to withdraw 100% pay. We will also ask members to turn up and show solidarity support at regular interval meetings and in events designed to keep up morale for MABers.

4. Will UCL deduct full salaries for days of participation in the MAB? What happens if they do?

A: We are not yet sure whether UCL will indeed take the route of withdrawing 100% of salary for those taking part in the MAB for every day that they participate. Universities have threatened deductions ranging from 20% to 100%.

If UCL deducts at 100%, it is effectively a lock out, as they will be treating all participants as being on strike. The Branch will have to make a decision quickly, as to whether to call local escalating industrial action, including an all out strike in response. 

Whatever happens, we will be aiming to cover a significant percentage of the salary of MABers through the hardship fund, and through the buddy system. 

5. What are the protocols for declaring participation in the MAB?

A: This is something that we will need to discuss in branch meetings depending on what UCL’s attitude towards deductions turns out to be. 

However, in advance of that discussion we strongly advise no member lets UCL know in advance whether or not they are undertaking MAB action.

6. Are we also boycotting non-contributory or formative work (that does not contribute to the final degree mark)?

A: No. We only boycott contributory work. Informal and formative assessment and work can go ahead as normal, as can normal teaching duties. We are not boycotting students’ learning.

However, this depends on whether UCL decides to take punitive action against MABers.

7. How will students be affected? Will they get their grades eventually?

A: This is a marking and assessment boycott, not a learning boycott. Depending on what UCL does, teachers will teach, assist students with work, give feedback on drafts for contributory work, and so on. They will also give references for those applying to do further study or applying for jobs, using existing transcripts and evaluation of students.

Marking will resume once the dispute is ended.

Please note, the impact of a MAB on students will depend on UCL’s attitude to this action. If they decide to deduct 100% of salary, which effectively treats us as being on strike, we cannot in good conscience ask colleagues to carry on student support and learning activities. It will effectively be a lockout.

8. Should we ‘mark and park’ work, where we do the marking and then just don’t hand in the marks to UCL until the MAB is over?

Answer: No, we do not recommend this. The law treats the marks university staff produce in their job as the property of the university. So if UCL thinks those marks are available, it can legally demand that members supply them, as they are legally its property. For that reason, our position is that our members are not generating grades until the MAB is over.

9. How long will the MAB last? 

A: There is no declared end date to a MAB. The end will depend on negotiations with employers and the resolution of the dispute.

10. I am retiring on the 1st June 2023 and was wondering what advice you’d give me re the MAB – e.g. not mark anything but be prepared to mark after retirement once the dispute is settled? 

A: We advise members to take industrial action in our disputes, and imminent retirement does not change this. Indeed, being in a position of not owing UCL any legal obligations after the retirement date takes the pressure of such colleagues. If, once the dispute is resolved, the colleague wishes to assist UCL with outstanding work as a goodwill gesture, this is fine. But there is no obligation to do so.