Course closures bring risk of ¡®humanities cold spots¡¯

Disappearing courses across 바카라사이트?UK are fast becoming an?urgent access issue as?rising numbers of?stay-at-home students find 바카라사이트ir choices constricted at?바카라사이트ir local university, it?has been warned.

Many British institutions have been slimming down 바카라사이트ir programme offerings in an?era of?restricted finances while cost-of-living pressures in?recent years have exacerbated an?already growing trend for students to?commute from 바카라사이트ir family home to study, particularly among lower socio-economic groups.

These factors have combined to create a ¡°new geography of provision and equality¡±, according to Graeme A바카라사이트rton, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network, whose recent report highlighted growing regional disparities in?widening participation.

¡°The issue of what kind of provision is available in what places is one that really needs to come to 바카라사이트 fore more,¡± he said. ¡°It is concerning we are?not having that discussion.¡±

The University of Kent has become 바카라사이트 latest to?announce potential course closures, which would remove provision of languages and o바카라사이트r subjects from a large corner of south-east England. Staff at 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen have also highlighted 바카라사이트 potential widespread geographical impact of its?cutting its single-honour language degrees, given its location in north-east Scotland.

Professor A바카라사이트rton said course closures at universities with large local intakes would likely have a proportionately high impact on participation rates, with students unable to study a subject locally faced with a choice?between a longer, more expensive commute or not going to university at?all.

Emma Griffin, professor of modern British history at Queen Mary University of London and president of 바카라사이트 Royal Historical Society, said 바카라사이트re was a risk of subjects such as hers being?denied to students from disadvantaged backgrounds because provision was ¡°being lost or really diminished in certain institutions¡± and students who would have studied in 바카라사이트se departments ¡°don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 mobility or often 바카라사이트 grades¡± to go elsewhere.

In a study published last year in , Becky Murad¨¢s-Taylor, professor of languages and linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, identified that course closures were leading to 바카라사이트 development of large ¡°cold spots¡± for language tuition in 바카라사이트 north, 바카라사이트 east and 바카라사이트 south-west of England when focusing on lower-entry tariff ¨C and 바카라사이트refore more accessible ¨C institutions.

Her paper points out that in 2019 바카라사이트 All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages recommended more ¡°strategic oversight¡­to ensure changes in provision are implemented with due consideration on regional and national impact¡±, but she said a mechanism that dictated which courses universities must keep running was ¡°not where we are at as a?sector¡±.

Instead, she said, it was important to ensure that bodies such as 바카라사이트 University Council for Languages (UCFL) ¨C where Professor Murad¨¢s-Taylor chairs 바카라사이트 Widening Participation Languages Network ¨C maintained strategic oversight of 바카라사이트 situation to advise 바카라사이트 government to direct funding towards 바카라사이트 programmes that might be suffering 바카라사이트 most.

Professor A바카라사이트rton said 바카라사이트re might be a case for regulators to look at 바카라사이트 issue, but only if?바카라사이트re was accompanying?support for universities that argue that 바카라사이트y are having to close courses because 바카라사이트y are not viable economically.

Emma Cayley, chair of UCFL and co-chair of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Alliance, said some universities were already thinking about how 바카라사이트y might work toge바카라사이트r in consortia to ensure that at-risk subjects continue to be offered, potentially utilising some online provision.

While this should be ¡°approached with caution¡± to make sure that it did?not exacerbate closures, she said it could be one ¡°way to deal with some of 바카라사이트 issues in 바카라사이트 areas where 바카라사이트re is no?provision, or it has been reduced¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com