UEA might be cutting some courses and modules

A recent  blog post by Maddie Colledge, UEA’s Postgraduate Education Officer, has revealed some courses and modules may be cut due to a lack of available funding.

These considerations are due to the current government squeeze on higher education funding. Colledge revealed that the four Learning and Teaching Quality Committees (LTQC) that she sits on as part of her position are reviewing which courses and modules are financially viable. Those that are considered to be under recruiting students are at risk of being cut.

Certain students are raising their voices against this notion in light of last year’s controversy, in which students joining UEA to study American Literature and Creative Writing had their second year options drastically changed just after enrolling. This led to many students either changing their degree subject or dropping out entirely.

Changing or cutting certain courses and modules may affect current students as well as future students, as it is unclear whether modules for the next upcoming academic year will be no longer available. We reached out to both the Union and University for comments on this issue, College said: “While we are sympathetic to the difficult financial situation the University is in, there are massive dangers here. Not only does it take new courses and modules several years to get going (UEA’s creative writing MA had just one student in its first year), but just cutting on enrolment numbers ignores the potential impacts on further study and equality and diversity. So we need clever, careful decisions and proper student consultation before anything gets the chop.

“Remember, when students don’t get what they’ve been promised they have a right to complain- so any student worried that the choices they thought would be there are not should contact the SU advice service immediately”.

A spokesperson for UEA commented: “The University regularly reviews its courses and module provision, to ensure that its offering meets market demands. New modules and courses are added to the provision and the less popular are withdrawn, paying due regard to the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) implications.

“Students and applicants will be consulted and informed as appropriate when and if there are concrete proposals relating to modules on their courses. Course closure, when it happens, is carefully managed with recruitment activities brought to an end and students on the course supported through to the completion of their studies.”