Axing of courses in arts and humanities described as 'assault on education'


A picket at the university during previous strike action. Picture: Roehampton UCU

The union which represents many of the staff at the University of Roehampton is saying that the jobs of 226 academics or half the teaching staff could be at risk under new proposals by management.

The university has informed staff that it intends to significantly reduce the number of courses on offer and end the contracts of over 200 staff. Some will then be rehired on short term contracts to allow the completion of courses that are being shut down. The University and College Union (UCU) has called the plan an “assault on education”.

The schools of arts, humanities and social sciences, education, psychology and life and health sciences will be the hardest hit and many subjects such as classics, anthropology, creative writing, therapy and photography will no longer be taught. The university wants to implement the plans by the end of August.

It is understood that the reorganisation has largely been forced on the university by changes to way tertiary level education is being funded by the Westminster government. It was to direct students into ‘graduate-level’ jobs and focus more on ‘skills led’ learning with ‘greater levels of engagement with employers’. The emphasis is increasingly on preparing students for the job market and move away from what the government describes as ‘low value’ courses.

UCU conducted a staff survey of stress levels in March, prior to the announcement of the restructure. It found that 87% of respondents frequently felt overwhelmed, and more than seven in 10 reported problems sleeping. Workload was repeatedly cited as causing high levels of stress. The university claims it facilitates a “positive, self-critical organisational culture and a supportive environment”.

The union also points out that students recruited onto courses now facing the axe may find it difficult to get the quality of education they were promised.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said, ‘The University of Roehampton’s plans are nothing short of an assault on education and we will fight them. Culling half the academic staff and attacking courses is an attempt to reshape higher education into a barren wasteland of employability metrics. Vice-chancellors of post-92 universities should be fighting a government agenda that wants to stifle opportunities for working class students, instead Roehampton seems to believe that its students don’t deserve to access the arts and humanities.

‘Staff were already working under intolerable levels of stress, now half face the sack and the other face picking up the workload; it is impossible to teach or learn in such conditions.

‘Those students who have been recruited onto the programmes that management is now trying to axe have been sold a lie and if these plans go through their courses will be distorted beyond recognition.

‘The University of Roehampton urgently needs to rethink these plans before it does everlasting damage to its reputation as an academic institution.’

In response the University of Roehampton said that the net reduction in full-time equivalent posts was expected to be 64 rather than over 200. A spokesperson said, “Like many UK universities, we are seeing student demand evolving, with some subject areas attracting great demand, and we are also facing financial challenges due to a range of factors, including caps on regulated tuition fees and the removal of the ‘London Weighting’ element of the teaching grant. As a result, we are proposing changes to rebalance our resources and achieve our vision of providing an excellent student experience and delivering successful graduate outcomes in a sustainable way.

“This will involve making some difficult and challenging decisions. If the proposals which are subject to consultation progress, we anticipate a net reduction of around 64 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) academic posts overall. We are doing our utmost to support everyone affected through this period, and have established dedicated support services for all our staff, as well as our student community.”

May 20, 2022