University of Kent course cuts prompt concerns over Medway campus

KentOnline / KMTV

Only three of the nine subject being consulted on will be allowed to continue, with none being on the Medway Campus. The University says it's meeting the trends in student demands.

Transcript

00:00 A vision for 2030, a future that will see dozens of staff lose their jobs.

00:06 Following a consultation conducted by the University of Kent in response to financial

00:11 difficulties, the institution announced this week that numerous departments will be shuttered.

00:17 This includes anthropology, philosophy and all three Medway departments that were consulted

00:22 on.

00:23 One journalism student says the decision is reflective of the university's attitude towards

00:28 the Medway campus.

00:30 It's horrible.

00:31 My mom tells me all the time about how she wants me to transfer not just because of the

00:35 course closing down but because the student life here at Medway is so horrible.

00:39 There's nothing to do really most of the time sadly.

00:43 We were pushed aside and I'm really worried about the value of my diploma now that it's

00:50 going to be cancelled after only a year after I leave.

00:54 They really never cared about Medway and there's a really good reason why they wanted to sell

00:59 this building.

01:00 It's just because we're forgotten.

01:03 With music technology and health and social care also on the shopping block, there are

01:08 now concerns for the next generation in the five towns.

01:11 I'm really concerned about the impact that this is going to have on young people in Medway.

01:16 Of course many many of our young people want to go on to further education and for various

01:20 reasons lots of them want to stay close to home.

01:23 It might be financially, it might be because they want to stay close to their network,

01:27 family and friends who support them.

01:30 And now they've got less choice so it means that either they have to rethink their options

01:34 or they have to look at moving further away.

01:36 So it really is going to have an impact on those young people.

01:40 Just three subjects were given the green light to continue after consultation.

01:45 But the head of school of cultures and languages says while he welcomes the protection of his

01:50 department, the news left him with mixed feelings.

01:53 It's a shame really that a university decides to phase out, as they call it, some subjects,

02:03 any subject really.

02:04 A university should offer as many subjects and disciplines as possible and we are talking

02:12 here about the grounds on which civilisation was built.

02:18 We're talking about philosophy, we're talking about religious studies and not to mention

02:24 subjects that are of impressive importance in the contemporary world such as journalism.

02:32 A university of Kent spokesperson has told KMTV that they are being led by projected

02:37 changes in student demand and this is not a reflection of the quality or value of any

02:43 particular subject.

02:45 They also say they are fully committed to their presence in Medway and are looking to

02:49 build on traditional areas of strength at the campus like business and social work.

02:55 While the fight for the future of these six subjects has been lost, the battle for the

03:00 future of the remaining three has just begun as a new 30 day consultation opens up to decide

03:06 what these courses look like and which staff will be made redundant.

03:11 Oliver Leeds of SACTS reporting for KMTV.

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