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General information 

What does industrial action mean and how could it impact my studies? 

Members of UCU at Goldsmiths voted in favour of two forms of industrial action:

• Strike action. Strike action is when university staff stop working completely for a set period as part of an industrial dispute. During a strike, participating staff pause all work, including teaching, office hours, marking and assessment, meetings and emails, research duties and administrative tasks
• Action short of a strike (ASOS). ASOS is where staff stop undertaking a specific part of their duties. This is most commonly in the form of a marking and assessment boycott

They have decided to take ASOS. UCU at Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ are not currently planning strike action, although this could still take place. Under industrial relations law a mandate for action secured through a ballot lasts for 12 months. 

Participating staff may also choose to join a picket line on campus to raise awareness of the dispute. 

Why is industrial action being considered?

The proposed action is in response to the university’s recently announced Future Goldsmiths programme of work. Future Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ is how we are taking action to secure our future as one of the world's leading creative universities. 

• Offering courses aligned to the University’s creative core, rooted in world-leading practice and critical research and reflecting what prospective students tell us they would like to study
• Providing flexible learning which fits the real lives of students, such as through improved timetables or using technology more effectively and delivering new forms of learning
• Investing in our physical and digital infrastructure, including teaching and social spaces and tools to support assessment
• Supporting strong partnerships with schools, colleges and further education both in the UK and overseas to support recruitment to Goldsmiths

Will Future Goldsmiths have an impact on my studies?

We expect current students on full-time programmes to complete their current programme of study. No changes will affect your programme, beyond the standard adjustments made in any given year. There may be some minor impact on part-time students in a very small number of programmes. These students will be contacted directly. 

How can I share my views about Future Goldsmiths? 

Student representation is embedded throughout the University. Students are represented on the University Council, Academic Board and other committees and forums where significant decisions require approval, and school and faculty representatives ensure student perspectives inform decisions across academic schools. The Students’ Union sabbatical officers also work directly with senior leaders on your behalf.   

We regularly survey students throughout the year through module evaluations, pulse surveys, the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) to make sure your experience shapes how we develop and improve. 

If you would like to make your voice heard, your student representatives and Students' Union sabbatical officers are best placed to make sure your concerns and priorities are understood by senior leaders. 

When will the proposed industrial action take place? 

The action short of a strike is taking place from 27 April 2026.

How will I be kept informed about the impacts of industrial action on my studies?  

We will communicate with students by email as we receive further details about industrial action, including the impact on specific cohorts of students.  

What is the University doing to minimise the impact of industrial action on students? 

Colleagues from across the University are working hard to mitigate and reduce the impact as far as possible on students. We are committed to minimising the impact of action on you and have plans in place to support this. 

Where teaching and assessment is impacted the University can utilise its exceptional academic regulations. These regulations allow us to mitigate the impact on our studies and assessments and are designed to ensure that we: 

• Support all students fairly and equally
• Support students to progress and graduate
• Maintain strong academic standards

Specifically, these regulations allow the University to: 

• Identify other ways in which students can achieve and demonstrate learning outcomes if all planned teaching cannot be delivered
• Authorise temporary changes to assessments
• Adjust marks to reflect previous years assessment, if marking cannot be completed
• Provide additional mitigations to individual or groups of students
• Support students to graduate and progress

We are committed to continue to work closely with GUCU and colleagues to reduce any potential impact. 

Student support 

I’m feeling anxious about all of this – where can I go for additional support?  

If you are feeling anxious about the prospect of industrial action, remember that all students can access wellbeing support at any time throughout their studies. You also may be interested in exploring some of the self-help resources available on our website.  

Industrial Action email to all students, 14 April 2026 (PDF)