Goldsmiths MFA students cite £15,000 fees in refund demands

Master of fine art students at Goldsmiths, University of London, have formally requested financial compensation after a prolonged industrial dispute disrupted their courses. The group argues that the university failed to deliver the teaching service for which they paid. This demand follows a 21-week strike by university tutors that has halted regular instruction for many students on the two-year programme.

The dispute affects a cohort paying substantial fees to remain enrolled. Full-time UK students pay nearly £15,000 per year for the MFA course. International students face a higher cost of £33,000 annually. Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, described the current term as a financial drain. She stated that many fine art students received virtually no teaching since the start of the autumn term. Sweeney said the lack of instruction has caused distress, anxiety, and depression among peers, some of whom traveled from other countries.

The strike involves 10 of the 12 usual tutors for the MFA course. The action is part of a wider dispute between the University and College Union (UCO) and university management. The conflict began in April with a staff marking boycott over proposed job cuts. Management responded by deducting 100% of pay from participating staff. The union characterized this move as a lockout. Following a formal ballot, a group of UCU members at the south-east London university has been on indefinite strike since early June.

Joe Newman, a co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, attributed the industrial action to the scale and speed of management cuts. He noted that students were largely supportive of the strike. Newman said many students expressed shock when told the reasons behind the walkout. The university maintains that the disruption is limited. A spokesperson stated that only about 8.5% of staff are on strike. The university argues that most students remain unaffected by the absence of these specific tutors.

Management has offered compromises to end the dispute. These include a pause on compulsory redundancies. However, the university refuses to reverse the 100% pay deductions for the initial marking boycott. A spokesperson cited the large sums spent to ease the impact on students as a reason for maintaining the deductions. The university says it faces significant financial challenges. It notes that falling applications in core humanities subjects and the erosion of domestic tuition fees have squeezed its finances. One staff member described the result as non-stop rounds of redundancies and restructuring.

Students say the financial strain is compounded by a lack of structure. James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa and funding restrictions require him to stay on the course. He reported receiving no marks last year and still has no feedback on projects from that period. Evans described this term as having no structure and barely any communication. He said students have been left to their own devices. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a departmental meeting at the start of the term. Carver said replacement tutors did not know the students, despite praise for regular staff.

The university said it is offering regular updates and meetings with schools to support affected students. It stated that continued disruption risks harming its reputation in the long term. The institution is known for alumni such as Steve McQueen, Sarah Lucas, and Damien Hirst. The strike enters its 21st week with no end in sight. MFA students continue to seek remuneration for the lost learning time they have experienced this term.