MFA students at Goldsmiths demand tuition refunds after 21 weeks of industrial action

Students who enrolled at Goldsmiths, University of London, this autumn are facing a campus where teaching schedules have been disrupted for months. The industrial dispute has left many master of fine art (MFA) students without regular instruction. Some participants are now formally asking the university to return part of their tuition fees.

At a meeting on Friday, an international student described the initial weeks of the term. Induction sessions frequently devolved into discussions about the ongoing strike. The student told The Guardian that arriving with high expectations led to a feeling of shock upon seeing the state of the course.

Ten of the twelve usual tutors for the MFA program are currently on strike. Florence Sweeney, a part-time student, stated that many fine art students have received virtually no teaching this term. She described the situation as a financial drain. Sweeney noted that classmates have shown signs of distress, anxiety, and depression. Some students traveled from other countries and found themselves without proper briefings or a structured start.

Goldsmiths has faced financial pressure in recent years. Applications in core humanities subjects have fallen, and domestic tuition fees have been eroded. A staff member described the internal response as non-stop rounds of redundancies and restructuring. The institution is known for alumni including Steve McQueen, Sarah Lucas, and Damien Hirst, but current operations are strained.

The current action involves members of the University and College Union (UCU). The strike is entering its 21st week. It began in April as a marking boycott over proposed job cuts. Management deducted 100% of pay from participating staff. The union argued this amount to a lockout. Following a formal ballot, staff have been on indefinite strike since early June.

Joe Newman, co-president of the Goldsmiths UCU branch, said the action responds to the scale and speed of management cuts. He reported that students were largely supportive of the staff. Many were described as aghast when informed of the reasons for the strike.

The university stated that only 8.5% of its staff are on strike. It claimed most students remain unaffected. Management offered compromises, including a pause on compulsory redundancies. However, it maintained the 100% pay deductions for the marking boycott. A spokesperson cited large sums spent to ease the impact on students. The university faces significant financial challenges, and the spokesperson warned that continued disruption risks harming its long-term reputation.

MFA students expressed disappointment over the costs. Full-time UK students pay nearly £15,000 a year. International students pay £33,000. John Carver, a part-time second-year student, suspended his studies after a dismal departmental meeting at the start of the term. He praised his regular tutors but noted that replacements did not know the students.

James Evans, an international student from the United States, said visa and funding restrictions required him to stay on the course. He reported receiving no marks last year and still lacks feedback on those projects. Evans described this year as having no structure and barely any communication. Students, he said, have been left to their own devices.