Industrial action

The University of Edinburgh branch of the University and College Union (UCUE) has announced planned strike action for five weeks from 28 September to 30 October. This covers weeks 2 – 6 of teaching in Semester 1.

Some members are also taking ongoing action short of strike.

We fully respect the right of our staff to take part in industrial disputes but will work hard to reduce the impact on our students and our staff community.

Guidance for students

Below are further advice and guidance to support you during industrial action, which we will update in response to any developments.

About the industrial action

This action is due to University and College Union Edinburgh’s (UCUE’s) dispute over the actions being taken by the University to address sector-wide financial challenges.

You can find out more about University finances and the action we are taking on our dedicated webpage:

University finances: your questions answered

We recognise this is an anxious and uncertain time for staff and will continue engagement and formal consultation with trade unions, always seeking to avoid compulsory redundancies.


UCUE members are taking continuous action short of strike from 30 March 2026. This includes working to contract, not covering for colleagues, not rescheduling lectures, assessments or classes cancelled due to strike action, not sharing/uploading materials related to lectures or classes that will have been cancelled as a result of strike action, not undertaking any voluntary activities, undertaking a boycott of administrative work related to implementing the cuts, and undertaking a boycott of the Time Allocation Survey.

While any industrial action will naturally have an impact on the University’s operations, please be aware that not all staff will be taking part. We want to minimise the impact on you as much as possible and will work to limit disruption to the delivery of learning and teaching, assessment, progression and student experience, whilst maintaining academic standards.


The University of Edinburgh branch of the University and College Union (UCUE) has announced strike action for five weeks from 28 September to 30 October. This covers weeks 2 – 6 of teaching in Semester 1.

We respect the right of our staff to join a picket line and these usually form outside of buildings that get lots of visitors. Staff who join this line may take the opportunity to share their opinions on the strike action, but they will respect the people’s right to cross the line into buildings as they wish.

It is not an illegal act to cross a picket line in the UK.  

Please be aware that if your classes, training activities or supervision meetings are running, you are expected to attend these as normal, and no alternative teaching, training or assessments will be offered in these circumstances. 


Impact on your studies - taught students

Please work on the basis that your studies will continue as normal. It is critical that you continue to submit any assessments as planned, adhere to all course deadlines and attend and complete exams as planned.

If there is strike action, some of your classes ,and scheduled teaching or assessment activities may be cancelled, but other classes and activities may not. You should attend all teaching, training and assessment activity that does take place.

Although we can and will ask staff if they plan to take action, staff are not required to tell us in advance, so at present there is not enough information to allow your School to confirm how strike action will affect you.  

If any of your scheduled teaching time is cancelled, you should use available course resources (for example, resources on Learn or course reading lists) to continue your learning for your courses.

Where the industrial action means that some teaching has been cancelled, your School will ensure that any subsequent assessment you take (i.e. coursework, exams etc) does not test you on content that has not been adequately covered. 


For some courses, attendance and participation in classes contributes to the overall assessment for the course, and some students will have other assessment activities such as presentations scheduled during the period of industrial action. If your classes are running, you are expected to attend these as normal, and no alternative teaching or assessments will be offered in these circumstances.


Where you have been set coursework, you should work towards submitting this on time, as usual, and work on the assumption that normal penalties will continue to apply to late or non-submission of coursework. This includes deadlines falling on planned strike days.


Schools will continue to meet published deadlines for the return of feedback to students wherever possible. However, the industrial action may mean that some feedback is returned later than expected. The University has however asked all Schools to prioritise teaching and assessment activities over other work where possible, to minimise any delays. 


Graduations

We want you to be able to celebrate your time at the University of Edinburgh, and all that you have achieved, with your family and friends.

If your award outcome is impacted by the industrial action, and your final award has not been confirmed, you can still attend the ceremony to celebrate with your cohort. However, you will not receive your degree certificate at the ceremony. We will send this to you once your final award is confirmed.

You can also choose to defer your ceremony. To do this, please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk

As in any year, if you have not completed your final year due to lack of academic progress not directly related to industrial action, you will not be able to attend the graduation ceremony. Your School will provide you with details about next steps should this be the case.

Find out more about graduations:

Graduations | Registry Services | Student Administration


International students

If you are progressing from one programme to another, or to a higher level of studies, you must meet the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) academic progression rule to be able to apply for your next student visa from within the UK. This application must be made before your current student visa permission expires. 

View academic progression guidance from our Student Immigration Service 

To apply for a further student visa from within the UK, you must normally have been successfully awarded your most recent qualification and meet the UKVI academic progression requirement.

Delays caused by the industrial action may affect some students' ability to be awarded their qualification and therefore meet the academic progression requirement. If you are unable to meet the academic progression requirement, you will not be eligible to apply for a further student visa from within the UK as there are currently no concessions that waive this requirement.

If you are concerned that delays to marking, assessment or the award of your qualification may affect your ability to meet the academic progression requirement, please get in touch with your School/Student Adviser to discuss your academic options before contacting the Student Immigration Service. The Student Immigration Service can advise on individual circumstances and available options.

Contact the Student Immigration Service


If your award is not confirmed at least two weeks before the expiry of your current visa, it will not be possible to meet the eligibility and apply for the Graduate Route visa. Unfortunately, the delay in confirming the award is not grounds for a visa extension.  Further information on other possible routes for working in the UK after studies is available on the Student Immigration Service webpages:

Working after studies | Student Immigration Service


If your sponsor or funder requires confirmation of progression to secure your tuition fee and living cost payments for the next academic year, please contact our Scholarships and Student Funding Team who can provide guidance and details on the financial support available:

Scholarships and Student Funding


Postgraduate researchers

You should proceed with your arrangements to start your studies and contact your supervisors to schedule your first supervision meeting. If you do not receive a reply during the industrial action, please contact your Graduate School Office or the School PGR Director. They will make arrangements to ensure that you are supported. 


We understand the importance of the student-supervisor relationship, and that any disruption – however temporary – is likely to cause concern. You may find that supervision meetings are cancelled, or that they go ahead with members of the supervisory team who are not participating in the industrial action. 

If one of your supervisors is participating in the industrial action, your remaining University supervisor (or one of your remaining University supervisors if you are working with a team) will take primary responsibility for supervising you on a temporary basis. This approach maximises continuity, as we recognise that your existing supervisor(s) know you best.  If there is a gap in expertise which will have immediate impact, a further supervisor may be brought into the team.   

If you find that you need urgent advice, or that your supervisors are not available over an extended period, then you should contact your Graduate School Office (CAHSS, CSE), College Education Team (CMVM) or School PGR Director. We will work with you to develop a bespoke plan, consulting you about any temporary changes and making every effort to support you to continue your studies. 

If you would like to discuss the possibility of an Interruption of Studies, the School PGR Director (or their nominee) will be able to offer advice and support. 


If your supervision is disrupted by the industrial action, your annual review panel will consider and record the impact on your research progress. If the panel does not confirm progression, but you did not receive adequate formative feedback in the run-up to the review, the School may request a concession for you to take a repeat review as a first attempt. 

If you are preparing to take a repeat annual review, and you do not have the opportunity to receive adequate formative feedback in the run-up to this review due to the impact of industrial action, the School may request a postponement. 

If you have any concerns related to progression (e.g. any potential funding implications), please raise them promptly with your School PGR Director. They (or their nominee) will explore how to support you, e.g. by making alternative arrangements for your annual review or providing a letter for funders explaining that any delay in the review was due to industrial action.   


If your examination outcome is delayed due to the industrial action, the School PGR Director will follow up with you regarding personal implications, e.g. for visas and job offers, and pastoral support. The School PGR Director (or their nominee) will be able to provide a letter confirming that you have submitted your dissertation and that the delay in the outcome is due to industrial action.   


You should assume that your viva (oral examination) will go ahead as planned and submit your thesis on schedule.  

If your Non-Examining Chair is participating in the industrial action, the School will endeavour to appoint an alternative Non-Examining Chair for the scheduled date. 

If your internal examiner is participating in the industrial action, then the viva examination may need to be postponed. You will have an opportunity to raise any concerns so that they can be considered. 

If your viva does have to be delayed, the School PGR Director or Graduate School Office (CAHSS, CSE) or College Education Team (CMVM) will follow up with you regarding personal implications, e.g. for visas and job offers, and pastoral support. Your School will be able to provide a letter confirming that you have submitted your thesis and that the delay in examination is due to industrial action.   


If an internal examiner declares participation in the MAB after a viva and before submission of the Examination Part II report, the School PGR Director will consider whether to apply for a concession to permit the external examiner to write and submit the report on behalf of the examiners.

If the external examiner is not willing to submit the report on behalf of the examiners, the College PGR Dean and School PGR Director will consider whether (a) to wait until the internal examiner returns from MAB, or (b) to appoint a new examining team and go ahead with a new viva. We will keep you informed and give you the opportunity to express your preferences and any concerns you may have about the potential implications of delays, e.g. for graduate visas and job offers. 


You should work on the basis that your examiners will be available to assess your thesis corrections.  

If an internal examiner is participating in the industrial action, the School PGR Director may consider whether to apply for a concession to permit the external examiner to sign off on corrections on their own. This will depend on the expertise and availability of the external examiner, and on the nature of the corrections. 

If there is any delay to the assessment of your corrections, the School will endeavour to put a plan in place with a clear timescale, keeping the delay to a minimum.  

The School will ensure that you have been notified and any concerns considered.


Impact on further studies and employment

If you are due to graduate this year you may be concerned about how industrial action may impact your career plans, whether you have a job offer already or are looking for work.

It is worth contacting employers in the first instance to let them know that you may be impacted by industrial action. We know many employers have been flexible with similar situations in the past. A completion of studies letter will allow you to evidence your progress to date. Individual circumstances and employer practices will vary, so you can speak to the careers team for advice and support.

Careers


If you require evidence that you have completed your studies for further study or employment, we can provide you with a letter until your award can be confirmed. This letter (a Letter of Completed Studies) will confirm you have completed your studies at the University of Edinburgh and will display the courses and marks achieved for completed courses. Courses for which marks have been delayed as a result of the industrial action will be displayed with a 'TBC' (to be confirmed) instead of a numeric mark. 

This letter will be made available to students who have been impacted by industrial action and it can be accessed through the Electronic Document Service: 

Electronic Document Service

If you have been impacted by industrial action and cannot access this letter, or if you have any questions about the Letter of Completed Studies, please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk.


Exams and assessment

Schools will take steps to ensure that exam questions, including in resit exams, accurately reflect the content delivered during the teaching semester.

If any exam paper contains a question on material not delivered due to strike action this will be brought to the attention of the Board of Examiners in order that it can take these circumstances into consideration.


Boards of Examiners who decide upon results have a responsibility to ensure that students have a fair opportunity to demonstrate performance against the learning outcomes. Marks for exams and assessment go through a moderation process to ensure that they are a fair reflection of students’ abilities. Please be assured that Boards of Examiners who consider your course and programme results will be given detailed information about the impact of any disruption to each of your courses, so that they can take this into account when deciding your results and making decisions on your progression and degree award.


Exchanges

The industrial action is unlikely to have any impact on your studies at your host institution. If you need support from your Exchange Coordinator or Student Adviser at the University and they are participating in the industrial action there may, however, be a delay in their response. If this is the case, we advise that you get in touch with your contact in the Study and Work Away Service.

There may be delays for students waiting to hear back from the Study and Work Away Service. Staff may also be on strike and SWAY will prioritise the most urgent queries.

Study and Work Away Service


Coursework extensions and attendance recording

The Exceptional Circumstances Service will continue to operate during the industrial action. Please continue to use the Exceptional Circumstances Service to use your automated coursework extensions.

Exceptional Circumstances Service


If you choose not to attend a class because of any strike action, and attendance is recorded, you will be marked as absent. For Postgraduate Taught students, you are still required to attend any dissertation supervision sessions.

Please remember that if you have a student visa you are required to demonstrate regular engagement with your studies as a condition of your visa. If you choose not to attend a class because of any strike action and miss teaching or assessment activities as a result, you should continue to engage with your studies more broadly to ensure there is no impact to your visa. Your School can advise you on how engagement is monitored.


Support

If you do not receive a response from your Student Adviser during the period of industrial action, you should contact the Student Advisers team or Graduate School office within your School.

Our EdHelp team is also available if you have any questions about student services:

EdHelp


During the industrial action, the University will remain open as usual. You will be able to continue to access the library and all our support services, although there may be delays in some areas.

Many academic activities will continue to operate as normal, although some areas may be functioning with fewer staff.


The University, in line with its terms and conditions (section 15.4), will not be offering tuition fee refunds. 

The University will however continue to offer support to students who are affected by industrial action. These include the mitigating steps the University has put in place to ensure that students are not disadvantaged in exams, dissertations or in progressing to the next year.


If you are due to graduate this year you may be concerned about how industrial action may impact your career plans. 

The careers team is here to support you with any questions you may have regarding your career. They are open throughout the summer, with drop-ins and consultations available online and at their offices in the Main Library and the King's Buildings Nucleus.

The careers team supports you for at least two years after graduation and has a package of support specifically for those graduating this summer. For further information, please see their resources for those graduating this year:

Careers - Graduating this Year


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

The University Listening Service offers pastoral support for all students. It provides you with a safe place to talk and non-judgemental listening, and links with specialist sources of help where required. The Listening Service offers appointments 9am to 5pm on weekdays. You can email listening.service@ed.ac.uk to arrange an appointment.

The Listening Service

Student Counselling Service supports the mental health of all students at the University, using short-term counselling and referral to other services. All students (on campus and online) can use this free, confidential service. They offer counselling in-person, and by video (MS Teams), phone and email counselling. 

Student Counselling Service

Part of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, the Advice Place is a professional, independent and confidential advisory service. You can get in touch online, by phone (0131 374 4581), or in person.

The Advice Place

To access wellbeing support for emergency or urgent matters out of hours, please phone University Security on 0131 650 2257. 

You will find full details of wellbeing support available on our website:

Student health and wellbeing


Contact us

If you have any further questions about the industrial action, please contact EdHelp: 

EdHelp

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