Morgan Tritton, Hertfordshire Socialist Students

The University of Hertfordshire has informed staff that it will be cutting humanities undergraduate courses – English Language and Linguistics, English Literature, Creative Writing, History, and Philosophy. A petition against the cuts already has over 3,000 signatures.

The uni has not responded to requests from staff regarding the security of their jobs, or how this will impact current students. Prospective students have not been told whether their offers to study the cut courses next term still stand. The University and College Union (UCU) says that staff were denied having input into the decision-making process, and were not given timelines for the cuts.

What’s the truth?

The university says that humanities courses are “no longer financially viable”. The uni vice-chancellor then wrote to staff, assuring that the university is financially stable, and the actions are “not being taken in response to an immediate financial crisis”.

Staff and students say that, by the university’s own admission, these cuts are not being driven by financial necessity, but by management falling in line with the wider marketisation of UK higher education.

In cutting humanities, the university will also create a ‘cold spot’ for these courses in Hertfordshire, meaning higher education will become less accessible to local, working-class, prospective students. Staff have called out the university’s hypocrisy in being a ‘widening access’ institution.

What do we actually need?

Staff and students at the University of Hertfordshire work and study on what feels like a perpetual building site. Management are narrowly focused on so-called profitable courses, and the perception of a successful university to attract international students, rather than actually delivering what students and staff need and demand.

Many Herts students recognise that the UK university funding model is broken, when we see that management treats education as a business first, prioritising reputation over student experience on campus, and the conditions and job security of staff.

Herts Socialist Students stands in solidarity with staff and the UCU in fighting these cuts. And students will be meeting with the vice-chancellor to demand answers.