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Campaign to save university modern languages degree
Aberdeen University came under fire over plans to scrap Gaelic, French, German and Spanish degrees.
The proposal will be discussed by the university court later today after more than 12,000 people signed a petition in opposition.
Students and staff held a protest meeting yesterday about the controversial plan.
The consultation was launched due to lack of applicants and annual financial losses of more than one million.
David Clough is the Vice-chair of the Aberdeen University and Colleges Union as well as a lecturer at the institution.
“Today is a really important meeting,” he said.
“Senior management are trying to get permission from court, which is the University of Aberdeen’s governing body, to have delegated authority to do what they want in relation to language programmes at the university.
“This would be a really bad thing because they’re seeking to close all single honours programmes in language, including Gaelic for which Aberdeen has a particular responsibility, alongside other Scottish universities.
“They are advancing plans that could result in redundancies of more than half the department of 29 colleagues in languages.
“Through the union and through many other external bodies, including; members of the Scottish parliament and the EU consulate in Scotland, there are lots of people asking senior management to change their minds about this.”
During the meeting today three options are expected to be discussed.
These are:
- Scrap single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German and Spanish and reduce the number of courses required to deliver joint honours programmes
- Scrap single and joint honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German and Spanish but continue “with language” programmes like International Business with French
- Scrap all language programmes with a named language but offer a language as an elective course in first or second year.
