Blessing Nkama
The University of Nottingham has announced the suspension of 48 courses effective from the next academic year, 2026/2027. This move has come as a surprise to fellow staff and students, as the university has faced significant backlash over the summer for its refusal to forego compulsory redundancies, which threatened 300+ jobs, and, as Impact reported earlier in the year, the eradication of Jewish studies during a complex time in our world.
The university has proposed the removal of core courses including, modern languages, music, theology, children and mental nursing, architecture, electrical engineering, American studies and many more.
This move, according to the university, is considered necessary in the midst of declining applicants, low research income and increasing debt. As of now, when you search up these courses at risk, you encounter a “404 Error” and “No Results!”
THE UCU UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM BRANCH HAS DENOUNCED THE UNIVERSITY’S DECISION AS CONTRADICTORY TO WHAT THE UNIVERSITY STANDS FOR.
Reasons for the suspension of individual courses were shared online, with many citing ‘low demand’, ‘course consolidation’ and ‘low tariff markets’. This is part of the university’s new vision labelled ‘Future Nottingham’, which aims to recalibrate its teaching and student experience and reform its faculty structure. Vice Chancellor Jane Norman has maintained that “‘Our approach involves proposals for thoughtful restructuring to better focus resources on strategic areas of excellence. This means investing in our teaching and learning and in the student experience, and maintaining our world-class research facilities to remain among the most competitive universities globally.”
The UCU University of Nottingham branch has denounced the university’s decision as contradictory to what the university stands for, “a global comprehensive higher education institution of excellence.”
The branch has openly expressed how this decision blindsided them, and the speed the university is aiming to achieve this would lead to more than 200+ jobs lost, adding to the over 650 staff lost in the past 2 years, and the fear of the death of the arts at the university.
SO FAR, PETITIONS HAVE REACHED A STAGGERING NUMBER OF OVER 44,000 SIGNATURES.
This sentiment of anger and disappointment is shared among the university, with many students and staff rallying together in solidarity. Social media pages and individual course petitions have been created to inform and gain support for the cause, such as “saveuonmfl” and “save American studies teaching at the University of Nottingham”. So far, petitions have reached a staggering number of over 44,000 signatures. This cull not only directly impacts students in at-risk courses but also others who may have staff members striking in solidarity.
One student studying Politics and International Relations cited how the strike affects her because one of her professors has decided not to teach the module in solidarity with their colleagues. This means she potentially may not have enough credits to graduate and would have to sit the second component of her module in August. This strike has shown the broad impact the university’s decision has on all members of the community and the determination it has ignited to stand united against a reckless choice.
At the time of writing, UCU members have taken 20 days of industrial action since September. Industrial action has been put on pause as the university agreed to no compulsory redundancies until October 2026. Nottingham UCU branch president Lopa Leach said: “Members accepted this offer, albeit with reluctance, given they have lost confidence in university leadership”
Blessing Nkama
Featured image courtesy of Impact writer and current Head of Entertainment, Caitlin Morrell. No changes were made to this image.
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