Goldsmiths MFA Students Seek Compensation After 21 Weeks of Tutor Strikes

Master of Fine Art students at Goldsmiths, University of London, are formally requesting financial compensation for lost instructional time. The dispute has left the program with only two of its usual twelve tutors on campus. This staffing shortfall has disrupted schedules for the current academic term.

Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, stated that many in the cohort have received virtually no teaching since the term began. She described the situation as a financial drain, noting that some international students traveled from other continents to find themselves without proper induction or briefings. Sweeney reported seeing classmates become distressed and anxious, with some experiencing depression due to the uncertainty.

The industrial action is entering its 21st week. It started as a marking boycott in April over proposed job cuts. Management deducted 100% of pay from participating staff, a move the University and College Union argued was a lockout. Following a formal ballot, UCU members at the south-east London university have been on indefinite strike since early June.

Joe Newman, co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, said the strike responds to the scale and speed of management cuts. He noted that students were largely supportive and often shocked to learn the reasons behind the walkout. One international student told The Guardian that induction sessions frequently turned into discussions about the dispute, leaving new arrivals feeling quite shocked after being excited to begin their studies.

The university maintains that only a small portion of staff, around 8.5%, are on strike, leaving most students unaffected. A spokesperson said the institution has offered compromises, including a pause on compulsory redundancies. However, management will not drop the full pay deductions for the marking boycott, citing the costs already spent to support affected students.

Tuition fees remain high despite the disruption. The two-year MFA course charges nearly £15,000 a year for full-time UK students and £33,000 for international students. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a departmental meeting he described as dismal. He praised the regular tutors but said the replacements did not know the students.

James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa and funding restrictions required him to remain on the course. He reported receiving no marks or feedback on projects from last year. This year, he said, there is no structure and barely any communication, leaving students to manage their own progress.