Postgraduate Research students (PGRs) are employed in all manner of ways to assist the University in the delivery of its teaching. The University is working with the Union to formulate a policy on the basic standards required to employ postgraduate researchers in this capacity. This policy will likely not go far enough due to the differences across the University and resource constraints.

The conditions and pay of PGRs should be of importance to undergraduates who are often on the receiving end of PGR teaching - whether that be from PGRs running their seminars, overseeing their labs or having their coursework marked by PGRs. Overworked and/or underpaid PGRs are unlikely to be able to meet high standards of teaching and this will have knock-on effects for undergraduates and postgraduate taught students in terms of their learning.

I feel that the Union should be much more concerned (particularly in a post-TEF world) that PGRs are not being exploited and all students serve to benefit from PGRs being adequately paid, supported and having sufficient contractual protections as befitting their responsibilities.