QUB announces sudden merger of schools to students via email

QUB has announced they will merge several schools, and informed students affected via email.

The merger will affect those studying Geography, Archaeology, Palaeoecology, Civil Engineering, Environmental Planning and Architecture – with no prior talk of an upcoming vote.

The news follows the vote to remove the Anthropology single honours degree which Queen’s currently offers.

This email was the first students had heard of the merger

In the email head of GAP, Professor Audrey Horning said: “You will probably be aware that discussions have been ongoing for some time across the university about the shape and size of the institution and how best we can meet the growing needs of our students, our staff and our stakeholders, both at home and abroad. As you know, we exist within an increasingly competitive economic environment and many of you have been concerned about the implications of the discussions for you and your education.

“Last week the Senate approved plans to expand and enhance the delivery of our component subjects with a new larger school, a school that will embrace a range of subjects such as Civil Engineering, Environmental Planning and Architecture, all of which have close synergies to our disciplines.

“The new school, with its rich array of subjects, will allow academic staff the opportunity to collaborate and create new and exciting educational programmes and to develop research synergies that will not only inform and underpin the teaching that we deliver to you but will ensure that our research makes an even more significant impact both locally and globally.”

A concerned final year GAP student who does not wish to be named, told The Tab: “Archaeology is going to be impacted so badly with this merger, there’s no mention of it in the plans and it is such a small course as it is. Being mixed with these large schools along with the jobs losses and stuff is going to kill it”.

The merger announcement has not gone unnoticed, as a large number of GAP students plan to protest against the proposals.

These developments come after the university’s 2020 proposals which include plans to demolish the much loved Mandela Hall.