Pause or Pay UK National Survey

ABOUT US

Pause or Pay UK is a UK-wide cross-university action group that emerged as a response to the disruption of studio-based learning by the pandemic. We're from the Royal College of Art (RCA), University of the Arts London (UAL), Glasgow School of Art (GSA) and Kingston School of Art (KSA) and always looking to expand! We’re working closely alongside other student and staff action groups, such as the UCU branches at our universities, Liberate the University and Unis Resist Border Controls. To date, we have campaigned to MPs, initiated complaints procedures at various institutions and supported tuition fee strikes. We are in the process of firming up a new manifesto and strategy to carry us over summer and into the new academic year, as social-distancing looks to continue for some time.
 

The current strategy is to exhaust all internal institutional complaints procedures so that we can bring the case to the OIA (Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education). We’re adopting this strategy as Universities Minister Michelle Donelan has stated that universities are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own fees, in response to campaigning from various groups, including Pause or Pay UK, on tuition fee refunds (quote below).

“If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint”

You can read more of her response here: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/09/university-students-covid19-faq/.

We’re aiming to eventually convince our universities to lobby the government for a sector-wide bailout with this action. To do this – we need your help! Come join us by emailing us at pauseorpayuk@gmail.com!

MANIFESTO

We need UK Art and Design Schools to listen to their student bodies and offer current students flexibility that is accessible for all students in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We are fully in support of the NUS Student Safety Net Campaign but believe extra provisions must be made for studio-based learners.

Given the lack of consultation and communication across the sector, we believe it is necessary that schools:
 

• Guarantee that Higher Education Institutions will fight for the 2-year post-study visa extensions to be brought forward for 2020 graduates.

• Opt-out of Virtual Learning for those students that do not believe it is a viable alternative to what they paid for. It is a physical impossibility and dangerous to suggest a continuation of certain artistic activities outside the studio and the safety of a workshop.
• Guarantee a physical degree show for all their 2020 graduates* who wish to participate. This includes provisions for 2-3 months of full access to workshops and studios or bursaries to access external facilities.

• Appropriate refund to reflect the loss of teaching, studios, access to facilities which has been ongoing since the start of this year.