Industrial action 2024

Will I be able to progress into my next year of study?

Academic Council, the highest UHI academic committee, approved temporary changes to university regulations to allow students to progress on to the next year of study where they have marks missing due to industrial action. This will allow most students who wish to progress to do so. There are some programmes where professional body requirements preclude students from progressing under these circumstances. Your programme leader will be able to advise if this applies to your programme.

Where you are progressing from an HNC or HND into year two or three of a degree programme with us, the degree programme leader will use your academic record to determine whether progression is permitted at this time. We will strive to allow all students to progress unless their academic record suggests that they are unlikely to successfully complete their HN award. You will normally have to re-sit failed assessments at a later date where these are a requirement for your programme.

I am in my final year of study. How will my qualification be awarded?

We will strive to issue students with final awards wherever this is possible.

Academic Council, the highest UHI academic committee, approved temporary changes to university regulations to allow as many students as possible to achieve their qualification. Students on degree, taught postgraduate or PDA programmes may exit with a final award where they have up to 20 credits of missing marks due to industrial action and they have achieved pass marks for all other required credits. In these cases, Honours degree classifications will be based on grades achieved for those 100 credits. When missing marks are received, classifications will be recalculated using the full marks profile, and where this calculation indicates a higher classification, then this will be awarded.

There are some programmes where professional body requirements prevent students from receiving an award under these circumstances. Your programme leader will be able to advise if this applies to your programme.

Students with missing marks for a number of modules (over 20 credits) when exam boards take place in June will not be able to receive their awards at this time.

Will I be able to graduate?

The university is making plans to include all final year students in this year’s graduation ceremonies as a celebration of success and achievement, as we did in 2023. This includes those who might be awarded later.

In inviting all final year students to attend graduation, we are ensuring that each student experiences this traditional milestone opportunity to celebrate their achievements with their peer group and families, celebrating the completion or expected completion of their studies.

As in any year, students who have failed, or not completed due to lack of academic progress not directly related to the industrial action, will not be invited to attend the graduation ceremonies.

I’m progressing from a degree to a postgraduate course at UHI; will my progression be affected?

In the vast majority of cases, we will be able to award your qualification, using our temporary change to our academic regulations. In the small minority of cases, where this hasn’t been possible, we have agreed that we will allow all UHI students to progress to their UHI postgraduate course, even where you have missing modules. If you find that you did not pass all of your modules at a later date and therefore do not have enough credits to graduate, we are looking to provide opportunities for you to resit modules during your postgraduate studies.

There are a small number of exceptions where, due to regulatory or professional standards requirements, this may not be possible. These include for teaching and health professions courses. Where this is the case we are working on solutions and will be in touch with you directly to provide an update.

Will this affect my prospects of employment?

We know students will be planning internships this summer, have job offers for after graduation or be starting to plan their graduate careers.

The Institute of Student Employers and UHI Careers and Employability Centre have made many employers aware of the industrial action and that the impact may vary from student to student.

If you have any concerns about the impact of the action short of a strike on your own employment or internships, it's worth contacting your employer to let them know and speaking to our careers service for support.

The careers service supports all our students for life after graduation and has support specifically for those graduating. For further information, please visit the UHI Careers and Employability Centre section on our website.

This is having an effect on my wellbeing. Where can I get help?

We realise this situation is upsetting and frustrating for you. Where you are concerned that this is having an impact on your health and wellbeing, or that of someone you know, please do reach out – we have a range of support available. 

Will my assessments be marked?

All students’ assessments and work – including dissertations – will be read and marked. Staff involved in action short of a strike are not entering these marks into student records systems so your marks may not be available via student records as they normally are at this time of year.

We use student records to make decisions about whether students can progress on to the next year of study or leave with an award. This year, as student records may be missing marks, we may be unable to take these decisions in the usual way.