Bournemouth University suspends undergraduate English and politics courses

Bournemouth University’s English BA and politics BA courses will be suspended, with admissions being closed for next year.

The suspension of courses is a part of the university’s financial recovery plan. The university has yet to disclose this plan, though further details are set to be made public in due course.

According to the Daily Echo, a Bournemouth University representative has said: “We have not closed courses, but some have been suspended for new applications next year”

Students received an email last week informing them of the planned course suspensions. One student comments: “For a university to run a Faculty of Media and Communication without a traditional and fundamental English degree seems totally ridiculous”

The reasons given to students were reduced number of applicants and insufficient funds. Though this is an issue that universities across the country are currently facing.

The University and College Union (UCU) has launched a “stop the cuts” campaign, following the estimation that over 5,000 jobs could be lost due to course cuts across the UK.

Cardiff University is one of the institutions facing course cuts. Nursing, modern languages, and theology are but a few at the university that could be scrapped.

Other courses including business, and chemistry, Languages are also reportedly among those under threat of being cut from universities across the United Kingdom.

The UCU’s general secretary Jo Grady said: “UK higher education is on its knees with thousands of jobs set to disappear from across the sector, this will be hugely damaging to students”

A government representative from the Department for Education has said: “This government inherited a sector facing serious financial risk and has taken tough decisions to fix the foundation of higher education to deliver change for students”

The representative continues by saying: “Whilst institutions are autonomous, we remain committed to boosting the sector’s long-term financial suitability, universities are engines of opportunity, aspiration and growth.”