The University of Wolverhampton is facing backlash after reportedly dropping a host of English courses and placing around half of the department's staff at risk of redundancy as part of cost-cutting measures.
Courses Suspended or Closed
The University and College Union (UCU), which represents staff at the institution, has revealed that several English courses have been either temporarily suspended or permanently closed for new recruitment. These include the MA in English Literature, MA in Popular Culture, BA English Literatures, BA English Language and TESOL, BA in English Literature and Language, BA English and Creative Writing, BA English and History, and all other joint courses. However, the BA in English (covering Literature and Language) and the BA in Creative and Professional Writing remain open for applications, according to the union.
Community Reaction
The news has sparked shock and sadness among former students on social media. Black Country musician Timothy Parkes expressed concern, stating that the decision "doesn’t do much to combat the illiterate Black Country folk myth." He added: "English at Wolves Uni was iconic in critical thinking and was doing incredible work to widen the horizons of the good working class people of West Midlands. There has to be access to learning more about the English Language for any of the other arts and humanities to have a context, and we devalue the arts at our own peril."
Staff Reductions
The UCU confirmed that approximately half of the department's lecturers and senior lecturers are at risk of losing their jobs. A spokesperson for the UCU Wolverhampton Branch Officers stated: "Staff in the department have been invited to formally consult on a proposal to reduce the numbers of lecturers and senior lecturers by about 50 per cent. While not yet confirmed, this would clearly represent a drastic reduction in teaching staff this summer. UCU are concerned that this would impact the experience of students currently registered on these awards as they are taught out, as well as the course closures reducing study options for future students."
University Justification
The university argues that the course closures are necessary to reduce costs and affect relatively few students while still offering courses in the general subject area. Management also claims that the staffing reduction is commensurate with declining student numbers on these courses in recent years. However, the UCU opposes the changes, citing a reduction in choice for future students, detriment to current students' learning experience, and the negative impact of job losses. The union also noted that the university has refused to positively market English and related subjects.
Concerns Over Expertise and Access
Staff have raised concerns about the department's ability to provide specialist expertise covering 2,000 years of literature, poetry, drama, and language. There are also worries about adequate support for current PhD students. Additionally, staff and the public have expressed concern that the cuts will exclude local and working-class people from studying creative arts, potentially restricting access to a narrow, privileged class.
University Response
The university did not provide further details on the proposed changes but a spokesperson said: "While the specific course portfolio at the university will change year on year, we continue to offer courses in English. We continually develop our course portfolio to best meet student demand and industry needs, and we ensure all programmes are resourced to deliver an excellent student experience. Any proposed reduction in staffing is a last resort and comes only after careful consideration of demand, long-term viability and the need to protect the experience of current and future students."
Broader Restructuring
The University of Wolverhampton was named in 2024 on a list of financially troubled institutions facing potential staff cuts. Last year, it announced plans to close its Telford campus, School of Art building, and sports hall, which is being repurposed as a medical school. Teaching and support activities are set to relocate from Telford to Wolverhampton and Walsall campuses by August 2026. The Black Country Medical School facilities are scheduled for completion in September 2026, and a new integrated facility for the School of Creative Industries is expected to open in 2027. This restructuring follows a period in 2022 when hundreds of staff lost their jobs and nearly 140 courses were halted due to a £20 million deficit and a 10% fall in UCAS applications, with many losses in the arts.
