Goldsmiths MFA Students Request Tuition Back After 21-Week Strike

Ten of the twelve tutors normally assigned to the master of fine art (MFA) program at Goldsmiths, University of London, are currently on strike. This absence has left students without regular instruction for the entire first term of the academic year.

A group of MFA students is now asking the university for financial compensation. Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, stated that many in the cohort have received virtually no teaching since the course began. She described the situation as a financial drain and noted that classmates have experienced distress and anxiety. Some international students, she said, traveled from other continents only to arrive at a campus without proper briefings.

The strike is part of a wider industrial dispute involving members of the University and College Union (UCU). The action entered its 21st week in October and shows no signs of ending. It originated in April as a marking boycott over proposed job cuts. Management responded by deducting 100% of pay from participating staff, a move the union characterized as a lockout. Following a formal ballot, the group began an indefinite strike in early June.

Joe Newman, a co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, attributed the action to the scale and speed of management cuts. He reported that students were largely supportive of the strike. Many expressed shock when informed that staff were walking out over these financial pressures.

The university maintains that only about 8.5% of its staff are participating in the strike. A university spokesperson said most students remain unaffected by the disruption. The administration offered a pause on compulsory redundancies but refused to stop the full pay deductions for the initial marking boycott. It cited large expenditures already made to support students during the dispute.

The MFA course charges full-time UK students nearly £15,000 per year and international students £33,000. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a departmental meeting. He said replacement tutors did not know the students. James Evans, an international student from the US, said visa restrictions forced him to stay on the course. He reported having no structure or communication from the department this year.