Following strike action last month by members of the Association of University Teachers (AUT) on campus, the AUT began a boycott of assessment and other activities on 1 March.

The duties concerned cover tasks such as assessment, which have a direct impact on current students, and other tasks concerning staff management, such as appraisal and job evaluation, or the smooth running of the organisation, such as call-out cover and cover for absent colleagues. In relation to all other duties AUT is asking its members to work normally.

The boycott of assessments affects all levels of study, from undergraduate programmes to research degrees. All aspects of assessment are subject to boycott action: not only the marking of scripts, but also the preparation and administration of assessment.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alasdair Smith, said: "I fully respect the right of staff to consider taking action short of a strike. I am sure we can all agree that staff will not find it easy to consider action that has an impact on individual students and their experience here."

Referring to the other duties that are subject to action by AUT members, he said: "I would hope that the current dispute could be resolved before any formal action needs to be considered." The formal deadlines for appraisal, for example, are some months off.

The AUT objects to a proposed overhaul of the pay framework for university staff and to the proposed pay increase for this academic year and next.

Although informal talks are going on at a national level between the employers and the AUT, no grounds for resuming negotiations have yet been found, though both insist they are ready to talk.