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Polly McMichael

@pollymcmichael.bsky.social

Russianist

24 Posts406 Follower 976 Folgt

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2w ago

Meanwhile, if the staffing and programmatic cuts being protested go ahead, tens of thousands of students in the East Midlands in the next decade who need to commute to a local university may be unable to study a subject of their choice in a region increasingly marked by disciplinary cold spots. 1/2

Academics’ strike means students will only get ‘estimated’ grades

Thousands of University of Nottingham students face receiving degrees based partly on previous performance after staff began a protest over job cuts

thetimes.com

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2w ago

Britain risks losing language skills to understand its enemies www.thetimes.com/article/5df4...

Hetan Shah, its chief executive, said:
"Recent economic, geopolitical and societal shifts mean that linguistic skills are now firmly in the nation's strategic interest. The UK is on the brink of a language skills crisis, including in languages that are strategically vital for diplomacy, defence and national security as we need to know what our potential adversaries are thinking.
"Our research shows that both student and staff numbers in languages and area studies are contracting at an alarming rate, which should be a serious concern to the government. Once the expertise in a particular language has gone, it's not easy to rebuild. Decisions being taken by individual universities rather than overseen in a strategic way puts the nation at risk of accidentally losing vital language skills to make our way in an increasingly volatile world."

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2w ago

Great to see the Guardian champion the SHAPE (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) subjects, but this piece gives impression that they are expensive, whereas many are 'cheap to teach' subjects subsidising more expensive subjects, mainly in STEM and medicine. The crisis demands better understanding.

The Guardian view on humanities cuts in universities: academic departments are more than cost centres | Editorial

Editorial: Literature, the arts and social sciences must not be sacrificed as higher education funding is squeezed

theguardian.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3w ago

This phase of the British Academy's SHAPE Observatory project focuses on academic staff, analysing trends since 2012/13 to explore how staffing levels vary by subject, region and employment characteristics. The data lag: the 2025-26 redundancies you've been reading about are not yet captured. 1/3

Loss of academic staff and "cold spots" for humanities and social science degrees threaten strategically important skills for UK, says British Academy

A new data map released today shows a sharp and widespread decline in opportunities for university staff in the humanities, social sciences and arts subjects in 2024-25. The data shows a precarious la...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 3w ago

‘We should be collectively concerned about a reduction in the pipeline of humanities graduates and the cold spots in knowledge it creates. In an age of AI, we’ll value the understanding of how humans think and act more, not less’ @viviennestern.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Humanities among degrees being ‘extinguished’ by hard-up universities

Exclusive: Experts fear rise in education ‘cold spots’ and social immobility as 4,000 academic posts lost in one year

theguardian.com

LopaLeach @lopa.bsky.social · 4w ago

🙏. @julietterowsell.bsky.social for reporting on this hugely important issue. @ucu.org.uk ‘Cold spot’ fears over Nottingham language cuts www.timeshighereducation.com/news/cold-sp...

‘Cold spot’ fears over Nottingham language cuts

Plans to close courses would have national impact, politicians write in letter urging university to reconsider

timeshighereducation.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4w ago

'Politicians from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages have told the university’s executive “in the strongest possible terms to reconsider” the plans, in a letter seen by Times Higher Education.' 1/3

‘Cold spot’ fears over Nottingham language cuts

Plans to close courses would have national impact, politicians write in letter urging university to reconsider

timeshighereducation.com

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · last mo.

A country and a governing class letting **individual institutions** decide on language provision - contracting out one of the key sinews of any state. A country that is burning itself down from the inside. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Cutting language courses puts social mobility at risk, say UK experts

Exclusive: University moves and falling exam entries fuel concerns about opportunities for working-class pupils

theguardian.com

Lewis Wade 🗃️@wadehistory.bsky.social · last mo.

🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️

Alumni petition against the cuts to the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Any Exeter alumni who wish for their names to be added to the petition below should please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/SpdYvmmsCaJbmZft6. If you are not an alumnus, but still wis...

docs.google.com

Polly McMichael @pollymcmichael.bsky.social · last mo.

“uncoordinated decision-taking across a fragmented sector” means some disciplines are “disappearing” altogether

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · last mo.

UK research at risk of irreversible harm says @britishacademy.bsky.social President www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

Polly McMichael @pollymcmichael.bsky.social · last mo.

Cutting language courses puts social mobility at risk, say UK experts www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Cutting language courses puts social mobility at risk, say UK experts

Exclusive: University moves and falling exam entries fuel concerns about opportunities for working-class pupils

theguardian.com

Sherrill Stroschein @sherrillstroschein.bsky.social · last mo.

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Fury over Exeter University plan to scrap dozens of humanities posts

Rowan Williams and Mark Kermode join campaign against proposed cuts for arts and social sciences

theguardian.com

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · last mo.

TFW your MP gets it and your management does not. Thank you for your support, @nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social! Solidarity!

Nadia Whittome MP@nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social · last mo.

I met with @uonucu.bsky.social to discuss the impact on members, the lack of proper scrutiny in this process, and the need for a new funding formula for HE. I am in contact with the university leadership and will continue to push for an outcome that protects as many jobs and courses as possible.

Nadia Whittome MP stands outside of a Nottingham University building with striking members of the UON UCU. It is a sunny day and everyone is smiling at the camera.

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · last mo.

Coverage for a new report from @hepi-news.bsky.social looking at languages provision in schools www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/07/01/n...

That is probably the fact that a huge majority of secondary schools in England have pretty minimal language provision. At most schools, there is less than one modern language GCSE entry for every two pupils.
"The decline in language learning explains the difficulties universities now face in filling their language courses, as well as the spate of modern language course closures in higher education," Hepi says.
The report has caught the eye of Hetan Shah, chief executive of the British Academy. He said it highlights "a concerning picture".
"As the British Academy has long noted, provision of language subjects in secondary schools has been in decline and there are signs that the recent policy changes are making a bad situation worse," he said.
"Access is unequal, with learners in disadvantaged areas often having little to no access to language learning. This has broken the pipeline, leading to cold spots emerging in higher education and devastating our linguistic capability in research."

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · last mo.

While it may look like the only thing our branch is doing is striking or boycotting, we are also tirelessly working behind the scenes to address the financial problems our university faces.

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · last mo.

More clear evidence that the community has our back: city council and members of parliament have joined our president to craft this important joint appeal condemning the horrific financial strategy that our administration continues force on the university.

Joint Statement from Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of
Nottingham City Council, Nottingham MPs and the
University and College Union
The University of Nottingham is one of Nottingham’s most important institutions.
It is a globally recognised centre of teaching and research, one of the city’s
largest employers, and a major contributor to Nottingham’s economy,
innovation ecosystem and international reputation.
We recognise that universities across the country are facing significant financial
challenges and that difficult decisions are being made throughout the higher
education sector. Ensuring the long-term sustainability of our universities is
important not only for students and staff, but also for the communities and
economies that depend on them.
However, we share concerns about the potential economic impact that
significant reductions in staffing and academic capacity could have on
Nottingham.
The University is a major driver of economic activity across the city. Thousands
of local jo

We believe every effort should be made to explore options that can secure the
University’s financial future while minimising the impact on employment,
research excellence, teaching provision and the broader contribution the
University makes to Nottingham’s economy.
The proposals and alternatives currently being discussed demonstrate the
importance of continued dialogue and engagement. Especially the finance
counterproposal by UCU indicates that the required savings are possible
without the need for large-scale job cuts and the closure of whole Departments.
We encourage University management to work constructively together with
UCU to identify solutions that protect the long-term sustainability of the
institution while preserving the skills, expertise and economic activity that are so
important to our city.
The success of the University of Nottingham and the success of Nottingham as
a city are closely linked. Our shared objective must be to ensure that the
University remains financially

UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · last mo.

Colleagues at the University of Exeter need your support! ✍️ Sign the petition: c.org/yKcx6Zr29H The University of Exeter is to cut about 150 staff. The proposed reduction is almost exclusively focused on roles in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, among them Modern Languages and English.

This campaign needs you now

Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter

c.org

Katherine McDonald @katherinemcdon.bsky.social · last mo.

Colleagues at Exeter have asked me to circulate this petition as widely as possible: www.change.org/p/stop-redun...

Katherine McDonald@katherinemcdon.bsky.social · last mo.

A brief appreciation thread for some of my colleagues in Classics at Exeter, who the University of Exeter have put at risk of redundancy @exeter.ac.uk. A few are on here, most are not, but I'm going to say nice things about them anyway.

Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · last mo.

Exeter, Hertfordshire, & Northumbria: all after marks in & before the end of the financial year. We NEED someone to give a shit about #UKHE, @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social. All VCs care about are covenants; their shorttermist fragmented cuts accumulate to the UK losing a sector it can't afford losing.

Ben Phillips@benphillips1989.bsky.social · last mo.

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · last mo.

With hardly any media coverage one of Britain’s few world-leading sectors is, right now, being decimated. The university funding model does not work and anti-immigrant hysteria has deprived the country of the means by which we met the shortfall: international students.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last mo.

A grim day in a grim week in a grim month for UK higher education, with Dundee, Exeter and Hertfordshire all making major announcements of planned redundancies. Shrinkage of the research & teaching base by the invisible hand's visible fist is not an 'us' or 'them', SHAPE or STEM phenomenon. 1/2

Photo of an open hand, with part of 4 fingers showing.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last mo.

Ben Phillips @benphillips1989.bsky.social · last mo.

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 2mo ago

What's it actually feel like to live through the decline and fall of mass Higher Education in Britain? Today I've written about this from the inside here... Hope you like it, and hope you find it useful. isrf.org/blog/what-do...

What Does It Feel Like to Live Under the Threat of Redundancy?

isrf.org

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 2mo ago

‘Decisions to close or to gut particular departments have little to do with intellectual quality: they are invariably managerial choices about the quickest way to reduce an actual or predicted budget deficit.’ Stefan Collini on UK higher education, in the next issue. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Stefan Collini · Squadrons of Pigs: Bonfire of the Universities

The problems with Britain’s universities are systemic and deep-rooted, not just local or contingent. Yet political and...

lrb.co.uk

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"The future of modern languages will not be secured simply by attempting to reverse falling demand. It will depend on expanding access to the point where demand can genuinely be expressed" by @anademedeiros.bsky.social and @marcecazzoli.bsky.social

Modern languages has a future – and it’s all about access

Contraction of modern languages provision is often painted as a response to falling demand. For Ana de Medeiros and Marcela Cazzoli, if you look across the whole education system then HE starts to loo...

wonkhe.com

Mark Pendleton @markpendleton.bsky.social · 3mo ago

East Asian Studies is being gutted at Sheffield - all staff at risk with 8.6 FTE proposed to go (a third of us). Biggest cuts in Chinese and Japanese Studies. We’ll be taking a few days to process. Solidarity to Materials and Chemistry colleagues who are also dealing with similarly bad news.

Rev. Dr. Liz Gloyn @lizgloyn.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Thrilled I've got 150 responses to my survey on personal tutoring! I'm aiming for 200 responses, so if you're an academic in UK HE who's had pastoral responsibility for students in the last five years, whatever that's called, with ten minutes spare, I'd love to hear from you. Do share if you can.

The Role Of Interpersonal Relationships And Care In Personal Tutoring Within UK HEIS

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

surveymonkey.com

University of Nottingham UCU branch @uonucu.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Today at 7 pm in the Trent LG Corridor, there will be a student-led exhibition responding to the closure of courses at the University of Nottingham, particularly Modern Languages and Music.

Endangered Species in Passing

7PM 18th May

Free entry
LG Corridor, Trent Building
University Park Campus
Nottingham

Jonathan Kasstan @jrkasstan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“We are concerned about the growing risk of geographic and subjectbased “cold-spots”, affecting areas and disciplines such as music and modern languages.” #Nottingham is a regional behemoth for the study of #languages - this is so stupid and short sighted publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...

Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Students

Report of the Education Committee

publications.parliament.uk

Post nicht verfügbar.

Polly McMichael @pollymcmichael.bsky.social · 3mo ago

www.change.org/p/stop-redun...

Sign the Petition

Stop redundancies at Ulster University

change.org