More than 1,000 students gathered outside Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) today to protest over the college’s failure to return examination results.
About 10,000 students at the college have not received the results of their Christmas exams because of a dispute between WIT management and lecturers over the rates paid to staff to correct papers each term.
Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) members at WIT last week voted in favour of industrial action. They agreed not to turn in results and not draft or mark future exams because the college had “unilaterally slashed the exam marking rate it had customarily paid” since semesterisation was introduced five years ago.
Members of the WIT Students’ Union and the Union of Students’ in Ireland held a demonstration outside WITs Cork Road campus and called for their exam results to be made available.
WIT Students’ Union President Cathy Pembroke said students were frustrated by the situation and did not want to be used as pawns in the stalemate situation.
“The students will continue to apply all necessary pressure to ensure that they get their results,” she said.
A spokesman for WIT said substantial progress had been made during a meeting with the TUI today and that the union was considering proposals from college management.
