Students in University College Dublin will stage a "university shutdown" tomorrow in protest at the reintroduction of third-level fees.

This will involve boycotting all classes and academic matters for 24 hours, as well as staging protests across the campus for the duration of the action.

A referendum deciding on the course of action was passed by 82% of students in the college. It is understood that a rally will also be held on the day, which is expected to attract thousands of students.

UCD staff will not be striking on the same day, after the cancellation of the planned national one-day stoppage.

"It is unfortunate that the staff unions have voted not to strike on the same day as ideally I feel both actions would have worked better if combined," said students' union president Aodhán Ó Deá. "This cabinet discussion on fees is likely to happen in the next few weeks so we decided to go ahead with our own protests."

Minister for education Batt O'Keeffe has strongly signalled that the reintroduction of university tuition fees, a graduate tax or loan system is now on the cards.

Next Monday's "education lock-down" had hoped to convey student anger towards the proposals coming to cabinet, but the recent pulling out of other unions has cast a shadow on the event.

"We're doing all we can to promote the day of strike as mandated by the students. I would hope the day will be successful but it will be harder to organise as the other strikes have now been cancelled," said Ó Deá.