Earlier this month the University and College Union (UCU) announced they were planning five consecutive strike days at Kent starting on Monday 24 March. While we continue to negotiate with them, and it is our sincere hope we can reach an agreement that avoids the need for strike action, we are unfortunately planning on the basis that the strikes will go ahead.
We are sorry for the impact this will have on some of you and are putting a number of plans in place to mitigate this as much as possible. It is important to note that not all staff are UCU members and not all UCU members will take industrial action.
We know from action in the past that the impact of strike days is likely to be very different in different areas of the University. We will therefore send further information ahead of the strikes if they do go ahead to reflect this, including what this means for you. There is more information on the background to the strikes on our industrial action student information pages.
Planned Strike Days
Strike days are due to take place on the following days. On these days, staff who are UCU members may choose not to teach classes or carry out other duties associated with their role:
- Monday 24 March
- Tuesday 25 March
- Wednesday 26 March
- Thursday 27 March
- Friday 28 March
Online Module Registration will open as usual on 24 March and your exam timetables will also be shared next week as planned.
Background to the strikes
Universities across the UK face financial challenges which means we, like many, are making savings through changes to how our teams work together. UCU have balloted their members to take strike action although we continue to negotiate with them and remain hopeful we can find a way forward that avoids the need for strike action.
We are also making wider changes from September 2025 that include moving to three ten-week terms (four terms for postgraduates) so:
- It’s easier to fit life around study;
- You can get your timetable earlier in the summer;
- Exams and assessment are at the end of each term so you are assessed with course content fresh in your minds;
- Your modules give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive at Kent and beyond.
This has all been informed by student feedback in recent years so, while we recognise staff concerns around workload and are committed to working with them to address this, we sincerely hope industrial action can be avoided.
Our commitment to you throughout
Throughout any period of industrial action our commitment to you is:
- We will do all we can to mitigate any impact on your studies
- We will never devalue your degree or coursework
- We will refund you for any direct expenses you incur as a result of strikes
- Any staff salaries saved as a result of strike days will be reinvested in your student experience
- We will be open and transparent throughout
We will keep you update ahead of Monday 24 March with more information on this, including the practical steps we are taking to ensure your studies continue if the strikes go ahead.
Finding out more
There is more information on the Industrial Action webpages including how and where you can chat to someone if you have any concerns about this.
Thank you for your patience with this challenging situation, and we will be in touch again shortly.