STAFF at Southampton City College have once again voted to take industrial action.

In a narrow vote, members of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) opted to take action short of a strike action in protest at changes to the personal tutoring system for students.

The news comes despite a glowing report on the college from Investors in People.

IiP inspectors said: "The college appreciates its staff and provides a wide range of learning and development opportunities."

Lecturers at the college felt the new mentoring system was likely to damage students' study and boost the workload for staff, prompting 65 per cent of union members to support working to contract.

The college's Investors in People report praised the way it handled students, saying: "The focus on the student is well understood and the culture of the organisation is changing."

Natfhe regional spokesman Dave Fysh said: "The decision to replace the personal tutoring system was made on the basis of some extraordinarily weak research evidence, and is clearly motivated by yet another effort to cut costs.

"Having endured successive redundancy programmes, lecturers are justifiably resisting a further erosion of terms and conditions and, moreover, the downgrading of a system that has proved extremely beneficial to students. We will fight to protect the quality of service."

Natfhe says the action has been designed to minimise disruption to students. But working to contract will entail withholding of assessment and examination marks, and boycotting exam boards and other meetings.

A spokesman for the union said the aim was to "focus the management's attention and bring about a return to the negotiating table".

No one was available from City College to comment on the development, but principal Lindsey Noble is known to be determined to drive through change.

The action is just the latest in a series of clashes between management and union members over college reorganisation. There were also pickets on the college gates earlier this year during a dispute over pay.