Study abroad chronicles: When teachers strike

The lack of activism on campus is a serious discussion, one which columnists have written about and students have commented on in casual conversation. I, too, have wondered why this might be. This article will focus on an alternative. Here at The School of Oriental and African Studies, the professors parallel, if not exceed, the level of activism of the student body.

Professors here can be seen alongside students at various protests — from raising the minimum wage in London to demanding the release of a former SOAS student from an Iranian prison.

The most radical activism I’ve yet seen, though, would be absolutely unheard of at the University: professors boycotting a national policy by refusing to grade examinations and papers.

A professor of mine walked into class on Wednesday and explained his participation in the “Marking Boycott.” Professors all throughout London and even the entire United Kingdom, are refusing to give comments or grades on assignments as a means of protesting a devastating cut to their pension plans.

Universities UK, the British universities’ employers’ body, has recently announced a cut in pensions payable to staff between 11-27% (a cut of between £3,000 and £12,000 per year). As a result, the Universities and Colleges Union has pledged a boycott after a vote that showed that 78% of the members of the union (the biggest union for staff in higher education in the United Kingdom) were willing to strike against this new policy. Other universities have challenged other aspects of the pension issue through various other boycotts, including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, the University of Essex and the University of Warwick.

As a study abroad student, I won’t be treated any differently from local students — my professors have told me they are all dedicated to the boycott and will gladly meet with me to discuss my work but will not offer any formal comments or grades for anything until the boycott is over.

This is inspiring in a few ways.

Firstly, I admire my professors here for standing up for what they believe in, and especially in such a visible way. It’s exciting to know that they are part of a boycott they see as important, and most of the student body is very supportive of their professors by protesting outside the school, signing and circulating a petition to the SOAS management and sending supportive messages. Some professors participated in a “Teach-Out,” in which they taught classes outside to represent the importance of teaching despite the constrictive policies a university might impose.

Secondly, I enjoy the sense of liberation that comes from a learning experience without grades. Inspired by Damaris Miller ’15 who asked her professors to not show her her grades, and articulated her experience in this column, I posit that removing grades actually increases a motivation and love for learning we so often forget. Whether forcefully, due to a marking boycott, or voluntarily, due to self-motivation, it has been rewarding to rediscover learning for the sake of it over the perceived satisfaction grades can bring.

The University is not an icon in terms of activism, and I always believe it’s up to students to spark change on campus. It’s up to us to change that stereotype. However, it’s worth thinking that there are places where students and staff can join together in speaking up for what they believe in.

Who knows? Maybe inviting your professor to participate in a protest for something you both care about will double the impact.

Azza Cohen is a history major fromHighland Park, Ill. She can be reached at accohen@princeton.edu.