Trade unions formally called off industrial action in the new university sector this week as talks on pay and conditions resumed.
The unions have given employers until the end of March to improve on the 3 per cent pay offer, before action is resumed and intensified, with the non-marking campaign threatening students' graduation.
Peter Humphreys, the chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association, is due to stand down next week.
It is understood that UCEA has approached a candidate from outside the higher education sector for the post, but it is unclear when the post will be taken up and who will lead talks through the March negotiations.