Newcastle University has distributed over £1.7 million in compensation to students affected by recent disruptions to their education, stemming from staff strikes between March and June. The strikes were an immediate response to the mass layoffs announced by the university. The upshot was that over 200 faculty and staff opted for voluntary severance.
As of June 30, the university confirmed that 12,769 students are owed compensation checks. This great move comes after considerable prodding from the Office for Students and a freedom of information request. Previously, Newcastle University had offered compensation sums of between £100 and £1,200. This large range is contingent on every individual student’s fee status and the degree to which they’ve been affected by teaching disruptions.
These home fee-paying students can be compensated £100 for every module of disruptive teaching, with a compensation cap of £600. International fee-paying students are limited to £200 compensation per disrupted module, and that only up to a maximum of £1,200.
The compensation payments are meant to compensate for the long-term effects of the strikes on students’ learning experiences. Speaking on the importance of the federal compensation fund, Prof Matt Perry said,
“The fact that they can pay £1.7m out to students shows the measure of the impact of our actions plus that the university had the money to cut compulsory redundancies in the first place.” – Prof Matt Perry
During the strikes, education at Newcastle University was severed, removing countless students from their educational work. This resulted in a great deal of confusion for all the students. The university’s decision to compensate students reflects an effort to address these concerns and uphold its commitment to educational standards.
Local Democracy Reporting Service was among those to cover this direct fund compensation initiative. Indeed, it may be the largest payout ever made in response to strikes in recent years. Such measures can provide a model for other institutions that are grappling with the same predicament between staff conflicts and student happiness.
