Goldsmiths Fine Arts Students Strike Disrupts Courses and Spurs Compensation Demands

Since early June, a group of University and College Union (UCU) members at Goldsmiths, University of London have been on indefinite strike. The action began after a marking boycott over proposed job cuts and has led to 10 of the 12 regular tutors for the Master of Fine Art (MFA) course walking out. Students report “virtually no teaching” and a reliance on replacement tutors who are unfamiliar with their work. The two-year MFA programme charges nearly £15,000 per year for UK students and £33,000 for international students, intensifying concerns about lost learning time.

The Guardian

Goldsmiths has faced declining applications to its humanities subjects and reduced domestic tuition fees, prompting a series of redundancies and restructuring. Management responded to the marking boycott by deducting 100 % of pay from participating staff, a move the union described as a lockout. A formal ballot followed, and the strike has now entered its 21st week, making it the longest industrial dispute in recent British higher-education history.

The Guardian

A university spokesperson said roughly 8.5 % of staff are on strike and emphasized that most students remain unaffected. The university claimed it has offered “significant compromises,” including a pause on compulsory redundancies, while continuing to monitor and mitigate disruption.

The Guardian

• “Not only has it been a financial drain, but I can see my cohort are very distressed and anxious, and some are depressed by what’s going on,” — Florence Sweeney

The Guardian

• “When we talk to the students about why we are on strike, of course there are a range of opinions, but overwhelmingly they are just aghast,” — Joe Newman, a Goldsmiths UCU branch co-president

The Guardian

• “I’m a mature student, time matters to me, and I would be going into a chaotic situation where tutors have been on strike for so long. There wasn’t any light at the end of the tunnel,” — John Carver

The Guardian

• “The tutors at Goldsmiths are fantastic, and the way they interact in tutorials, when you do get them, it’s as good as it gets, you build relationships with all the tutors. But what’s going on now is that [replacement] tutors are being brought in who don’t know the students and it’s not as impressive, to put it politely.” — James Evans

The Guardian

• “Towards the end of last year, in the first days of the strike, I never received marks back, the end-of-term show wasn’t graded. The marks aren’t the important part, but the dialogue is, and there were very important fixtures for the year that went without any discussion. It was a bit frustrating. But this year it’s been worse,” — James Evans

The Guardian

Students, many of whom arrived from abroad, say the prolonged lack of instruction has caused financial strain, anxiety, and, in some cases, depression. A group of affected students is now seeking remuneration for the lost learning, arguing that the fees paid have not been matched by delivered instruction.

The Guardian