UCU on Rate Your Lecturer website

UCU head of higher education, Michael MacNeil, said: 'All staff and students have the right to work free from intimidation, online or otherwise. Online gossip might seem harmless enough, however, it can lead to serious online and offline bullying. If students have real concerns about their lecturers, they should go through the proper channels not post, often with the cloak of anonymity, on websites.

'There is no way of determining if the individual posting comments has a real concern about the standard of their course, the university of the teaching or they just fancy lashing out after getting a poor mark. What may seem an off the cuff remark can be extremely unpleasant. Universities need to ensure that they seek full consultation with unions regarding any policies they wish to produce in this area.'