Plans to cut 150 academic roles at the University of Exeter spark outrage

The University of Exeter has sparked outrage over its proposal to axe 150 teaching and support staff due to ‘rising costs’.

85% of the jobs at risk are in the humanities, according to the University and College Union (UCU).

A petition to stop the redundancies at Exeter has garnered over 30,000 signatures. Several well-known names have criticised the move, including biographer Hermione Lee and former Tory MP Rory Stewart, who called the proposal “worrying”.

The UCU said more than eight in 10 academics in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences would be impacted by the proposal. The English faculty is set to shrink by a third, with the teaching load expected to double for the remaining staff.

One lecturer in the English department warned: “If our teaching schedule grows, there will be no time for those things [research articles]. And our place in the Russell Group will be lost.”

Exeter has made the call to reduce staff numbers in these subjects later than other universities. All they are doing is aligning resources with demand

David Miller, former Head of Marketing, Exeter

UCU members overwhelmingly voted no confidence in the Vice-Chancellor and voted unanimously in favour of a ballot for industrial action.

Exeter UCU co-chair, Michael J Flexer, condemned the redundancies as “self-sabotage” and “academic vandalism”. Flexer argues the motivation behind the proposal is “ideological” rather than “financial”, which the university denies.

David Miller, former Head of Marketing at Exeter, identified that the number of undergraduates studying history has dropped by nearly a quarter, and languages by 37%, in the past four years.

He added: “Exeter has made the call to reduce staff numbers in these subjects later than other universities. All they are doing is aligning resources with demand.”

Dr Joanie Willett, associate professor at the Penryn campus in Cornwall, shared concerns that these cuts would impact the university’s “socio-economic” impact in Cornwall and the “way we can work with the wider community”.

The university said there is no intention to close departments or disciplines and that Exeter would “continue to have one of the largest faculties of humanities, arts, and social sciences in the UK”.

A spokesperson for Exeter emphasised that “these are proposals at this stage”, and “all colleagues affected by the proposed changes will receive all the information they need throughout the process, along with every opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns, and participate fully”.

Exeter’s announcement follows a wider trend of university job cuts in the creative fields, with 4,000 academic posts in social sciences, humanities, and the arts having been axed over a 12-month period.

In an age of AI, we’ll value the understanding of how humans think and act more, not less, in the future

Vivienne Stern, chief executive, Universities UK

Earlier this year, the University of Nottingham announced that 2,697 staff were at risk of ‘potential redundancy’, while the University of Hertfordshire suspended multiple undergraduate humanities courses including English and creative writing and history.

Arts funding by local governments has also plummeted by 55% since 2010, down from £1.19 billion to £539 million in 2024-25.

Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, warned: “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, in the future.”

Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “While it is always a tragedy, with real human impact, when courses close, it would be irresponsible of managers and governors to ignore changes in demand for different courses.”