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Motion carried unanimously by Sussex UCU Extraordinary General Meeting: “This meeting calls for the University Executive Group (UEG) to cancel immediate plans to withdraw the proposed Languages & Intercultural Studies degree programme ... 1/
& to suspend any further decisions on the status of this programme until the matter can be considered in accord with proper governance procedures at the next formal meeting of Senate.” Sussex UCU has been promised an urgent meeting with UEG. Questions needing answers include: 2/
Q1. This is an academic matter, why has Senate not been consulted? Senate is the body ‘responsible for academic standards and the direction and regulation of academic matters’ http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ogs/govdocuments
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Q2. If the Media Arts and Humanities School Education committee voted unanimously to keep the degree programme open, why has this view not been considered UEG? 4/
Q3. Why was an external consultancy company (the Knowledge Partnership) tasked with producing a ‘Course Viability Report’. Why were no faculty consulted and why is this report ‘commercially confidential’ and not available to Senate? http://www.theknowledgepartnership.com 5/
Q4. The degree programme has 27 applicants and 1 confirmed enrollment from a current year 1 student. Great results, achieved in a very short time, since approval in Oct 2020. How can the decision to close be justified with no consultation? 6/
Q5. The Languages and Intercultural Studies degree is the first of its kind in the UK - a unique opportunity to establish Sussex as a leading institution in the field of Intercultural Studies. What justifies the reversal of this decision in such a short period of time? 7/
Q6. This is a fantastic opportunity for Sussex & integral to its “internationalization strategy”. Staff have worked for 2 years developing this degree & it will make an exceptional contribution to the amazing place that is the University of Sussex. Why can’t we teach this degree?
