Aberdeen saves joint language degrees after criticism

The University of Aberdeen is to continue offering joint degrees in modern languages after its proposal to scrap all programmes was heavily criticised.

Single honour language degrees are still set to be closed as the university seeks to reduce a £1.5 million deficit caused by declining student numbers.

A meeting of the university’s governing body, known as the university court, has accepted a recommendation that will see Aberdeen make offers to applicants for entry in September 2024 for all its joint modern languages degree programmes.

This was one option of three that the university put forward as part of a consultation launched last month, alongside closing all language degrees entirely and retaining a suite of “with language” programmes.

Academics, politicians and unions raised concerns about the potential closures, saying it would leave Aberdeen as the only ancient university in the world not to offer language degrees.

The University and College Union’s general secretary, Jo Grady, welcomed the latest developments but said the union would continue to campaign to protect all jobs at the university.

“The employer has blinked. They are moving under the pressure that the campaign to save language teaching at Aberdeen has built. But it is not enough,” she said.

“There should be no cuts to provision and no cuts to jobs. It’s been inspiring to see everyone come together on this. We need to keep going.”

The university said enrolments on its single honours programmes were “very low”, with just five students joining in September 2023.

It has said cuts were needed after just 27 full-time equivalent students were recruited for this academic year, down from 62 in 2021, while the university has 28 full-time equivalent staff members teaching on the programmes.

After the meeting of the court on 12 December, Aberdeen’s senior vice-principal Karl Leydecker announced that the university would also be looking at how it can continue to support research in modern languages.

Its consultation was being extended by a month to allow more time for further detailed discussions on ideas put forward to increase student recruitment and make the delivery of provision more efficient.

“The university absolutely understands how much our community and the wider public care about modern languages, including Gaelic,” Professor Leydecker said.

“We have been heartened by the many offers of support and advice on maintaining degree programmes and the ideas that colleagues have brought forward to address their sustainability. We will also make concerted efforts to increase the uptake of the opportunities we offer to all our students to learn languages. 

“As a result, we’re extending the consultation period by a month to allow time for further detailed discussions on how to grow demand and address financial sustainability.  

“We have always said that we will continue to teach languages at the university. Today’s decision means that we will continue to offer joint degree programmes in modern languages, including Gaelic. 

“We have listened to the compelling arguments about the importance of language degrees continuing to be available in the north-east of Scotland. As a result, before the consultation period ends, we are homing in on the first option on the table in the consultation.

“Like others in the sector, our university has a very challenging period to weather, but we are working to build firm foundations to ensure a bright long-term future ahead, with language provision an important part of that.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com