University of Hull to close its chemistry department

[6Foot2]

Link: University of Hull to close its chemistry department - BBC News

 

The University of Hull is to close its chemistry department.

 

It said student numbers were "so low that these courses are no longer financially or educationally sustainable".

 

The university added that chemistry would continue to be taught where it was part of another subject, such as medicine.

 

The number of schools is also to be reduced from 17 to 11, with the faculty of arts, cultures and education and the faculty of business, law and politics merging.

 

In a statement, the university said that the measures would "contribute to maintaining our financial sustainability, and enable us to grow and develop".

 

"In common with most universities, we are not exempt from the significant challenges faced by the higher education sector," the university said.

 

"We need to ensure we have the right programmes, the right course design and the right teaching methods in place in line with student demand."

 

The chemistry department was rated the fourth best in the UK in The Guardian's University Guide 2024.

 

In an online petition objecting to the closure, opponents said "the department has long been a cornerstone of Hull's educational and research heritage".

 

It added: "The move threatens the livelihood of our staff, compromises the education of our students, and sends an unnerving signal to local employers, as one of the largest chemical sectors in the United Kingdom, and our alumni."

 

More than 4,800 people signed the petition.

[Ditto]

Given recent news stories about many universities are struggling, I suspect there is a lot more of this to come. My eldest is due to go on an engineering degree next year, and he is well aware the course's actual cost is much higher than he will pay, whilst other degree courses with less resource demands effectively subsidise his. Given how high the fees are now, plus accommodation/general living almost doubling the expense, he'd (we) would be seriously compromised on accessing this level of education purely on affordability if variable fees were brought in. As someone that went to university and got paid (grant), things have changed beyond recognition. With the increasing number of people going to uni since my days, I do wonder what alternative models exists. For me, I'd like to see the apprentice schemes go further. I also think we need to value (poorly named) 'vocational skills and certification' for what they are, rather than trying to give them 'academic' equivalences. For me, there are so many young adults that benefit from degree and other higher education and that is an investment in the future on the country. I do wonder if a direct taxation on corporations beyond a certain size, those that benefit from employing the graduates, could be used to directly fund all higher education. It's probably a bit too revolutionary to go far as an idea, but it is clear the current model is heading badly in the wrong direction.

[PotNoodleTech]

It's generally the same issues as with the NHS and other organisations, top heavy organisation, excessive middle management and incessant wastage across the organisations (getting rid of 3 year old PCs that are flying machines for no other reason than "they're 3 years old so they gotta go" or refurbing a room for the 3rd time in 5 years and junking all the furnature into the skip yet again.

 

Dont get me wrong I'll take those PCs for schools and I have taken the lovely super-expensive furnature for schools in the past but the fact is that level of constant change and wastage can not be sustainable. All of this, whilst saddling young adults with a lifetime of debt. It's not right.

Edited December 2, 2024 by PotNoodleTech