By Alan Nemirovski and Klara Woxström
On 11 October 2022, an email was sent to LSE students who applied for compensation due to the University and College Union (UCU) strikes’ effect on their learning. The email stated that investigations into their complaints could potentially be delayed until the new year (2023).
Students were told last year that they could apply for compensation for teaching hours lost as a result of UCU strikes, which occurred in December 2021, and over lent term earlier this year. At the end of the 2021-22 academic year, the LSESU informed students that they could apply for a partial refund and that their cases would be reviewed on an individual basis.
During the summer, students received an email stating their complaints should be processed within 90 days and that their cases had been assigned to a member of LSE’s legal team for review.
Lily Whittle, a second-year Geography student expressed: “I had spent most of my first year in the dark about how I was performing and felt entirely underprepared when going into exam season.”
“Strike action meant I waited months for feedback, even on formatives. Here I was at an elite institution prized for its high quality of teaching and learning and I didn’t feel I was accessing any of it. Certainly not equated to the amount I was paying in fees.”
The second email sent to students in October stated the processing of complaints was being held off until the complaint portal had been closed by each department. This was to ensure that all complaints were received in a fair and equitable manner. The portal shut at midnight on Monday 12 September.
The email elaborated that, given the number of complaints, LSE is aiming to issue outcomes before the Christmas break. However, some complaint outcomes may not be finalised until 2023.
“Honestly, I had completely forgotten about [the strike compensation],” says Hila Davies, a second-year Social Anthropology student. “[It] feels like it’s just been brushed under the carpet. Or that the act of applying for compensation was just performative.”
Maarya Rabbani, the LSE Students’ Union Education Officer has commented: ‘‘While [the SU] is unable to comment on what seems like an ongoing legal matter at the moment, please rest assured that we are doing everything in our capacity to expedite the process.’’When asked about the delay in the timeline for responses to complaints, a spokesperson for LSE told The Beaver, “LSE aims to resolve complaints within 90 days, and often does so in a shorter period. We may not be able to resolve formal complaints relating to industrial action within this timeframe, however, due to the complexity of cases and need to fully assess the impact of mitigations. In addition, the process is being supported by legal advisors external to LSE. This is to ensure assessment of claims for compensation or a partial refund are undertaken independently. Any relevant updates on timelines for a response will be delivered as part of the formal complaints procedure.”
