Goldsmiths Art Students Want Money Back

Goldsmiths, University of London, has been caught in a prolonged industrial dispute that has disrupted master of fine art (MFA) courses since early June. Students enrolled in the program are now formally requesting financial compensation for the lost instruction during the current term.

The conflict began in April when University and College Union members launched a marking boycott to protest proposed job cuts. University management responded by deducting 100% of the pay for participating staff. Following a formal ballot, a group of staff members has been on indefinite strike action since early June.

Florence Sweeney, a part-time MFA student, described the current term as a financial drain. She noted that many fine art students have received virtually no teaching. Sweeney said she has watched classmates become distressed and anxious, with some traveling from other parts of the world only to miss proper inductions.

The university has faced financial pressure in recent years due to falling applications in core humanities subjects. One staff member described the resulting administrative actions as continuous rounds of redundancies and restructuring. Joe Newman, a co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, stated that the strike is a response to the rapid pace of these cuts. He observed that students were largely supportive of the staff action.

University officials stated that approximately 8.5% of staff are currently on strike. They argued that most students remain unaffected by the disruption. Management said it has offered compromises, including a pause on compulsory redundancies, but it will maintain the 100% pay deductions for the marking boycott.

MFA students expressed disappointment over the lack of support, noting that the two-year course costs nearly 15,000 pounds for full-time UK students and 33,000 pounds for international students. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after an initial departmental meeting. He said the replacement tutors did not know the students.

James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa and funding restrictions required him to remain enrolled. He reported receiving no marks or feedback on projects from the previous year. Evans described the current term as having no structure and minimal communication.