Goldsmiths MFA students request tuition refunds after 21 weeks without tutors

Master of fine art students at Goldsmiths, University of London, are formally requesting compensation for tuition fees paid during the first term of this academic year. The students cite a lack of structured teaching and administrative support caused by a labor dispute that has now lasted 21 weeks. The MFA program charges full-time UK students nearly £15,000 per year and international students £33,000 per year for the two-year course.

Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, described the term as a financial drain. She stated that many fine art students have received virtually no teaching. A group of students is now seeking remuneration for the lost learning time. Sweeney noted that some classmates have experienced distress and anxiety, with some having traveled from abroad only to find their induction sessions consumed by discussions of the strike.

The dispute involves 10 of the program's 12 tutors. Joe Newman, a co-president of the local University and College Union branch, said the strike responds to the scale and speed of proposed job cuts. He reported that students are largely supportive of the action and expressed shock upon learning the reasons for the walkout. The strike began in April as a marking boycott over proposed reductions. Management deducted 100% of pay from participating staff, a move the union characterized as a lockout. Following a formal ballot, the indefinite strike began in early June.

Goldsmiths management stated that only about 8.5% of staff are on strike, which they argue leaves most students unaffected. A university spokesperson said the institution has offered compromises, including a pause on compulsory redundancies. However, management will not drop the 100% pay deductions for the initial marking boycott. The university cited large expenditures already made to ease the impact on students as the reason for maintaining those deductions.

Financial pressures at the university include falling applications in humanities subjects and changes to domestic tuition fees. A staff member described the internal environment as one of continuous rounds of redundancies and restructuring. The university faces what a spokesperson called significant financial challenges. They warned that continued disruption risks harming the institution's reputation in the long term.

John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a departmental meeting at the start of the term. He praised the regular tutors but said the replacement staff did not know the students. James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa and funding restrictions require him to remain enrolled. He reported receiving no marks or feedback on projects from last year. He described this year's experience as having no structure and barely any communication.

The university said it is providing regular updates and holding meetings with schools to support affected students. The MFA students expressed disappointment with the current level of support given the high cost of the program.