Goldsmiths MFA students seek £15,000 refunds

Master of fine art students at Goldsmiths, University of London, are demanding refunds from the institution after a 21-week industrial dispute left them with minimal teaching. The group is seeking compensation for lost learning time during a period where the majority of their course tutors have been on strike action.

The two-year postgraduate course carries a price tag of nearly £15,000 per year for full-time UK students and £33,000 for international students. Florence Sweeney, a part-time student on the programme, described the lack of instruction as a financial drain. She noted that many students received virtually no teaching this term, prompting a collective push for remuneration.

Ten of the 12 regular tutors on the MFA course have joined the strike. The industrial action involves members of the University and College Union (UCU) who have been on indefinite strike since early June. The dispute began in April as a marking boycott over proposed job cuts. Management subsequently deducted 100% of pay from participating staff, a move the union characterized as a lockout.

Joe Newman, co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, attributed the action to the scale and speed of management cuts. He reported that students were largely supportive of the staff action and expressed shock when informed of the financial pressures driving the strikes. The university, however, stated that only 8.5% of its staff are on strike, arguing that most students remain unaffected.

The institution faces financial pressure from falling applications in core humanities and reduced domestic tuition fees. One staff member described the recent period as involving non-stop rounds of redundancies and restructuring. A university spokesperson said the school has paused compulsory redundancies but will maintain the 100% pay deduction for the marking boycott. The university cited the substantial funds spent to mitigate student impact as the reason for this decision.

International students face specific logistical hurdles. James Evans, a student from the United States, said visa and funding restrictions require him to remain on the course despite the disruption. He reported receiving no marks last year and lacking feedback on projects from that period. He described the current academic structure as nonexistent, with students largely left to manage their own progress.

John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies following a departmental meeting at the start of the term. He praised the regular tutors but noted that replacement staff did not know the students. Evans said the experience has been marked by a lack of communication and structure, contrasting with the initial excitement of enrolling at a university known for alumni such as Steve McQueen and Damien Hirst.