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University cuts start to bite

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/mar/23/university-funding-cuts

Louise Tickle and Owen Bowcott

The Guardian, Tuesday 23 March 2010

The world is watching a row between staff and management at King's College
London

As universities across the country grapple with the challenge of making savings
, a row has broken out in one institution about whether its proposed cuts
represent a threat to academic freedom.

The school of arts and humanities at King's College London has found itself the
focus of international attention as academics claim the college is targeting
staff whose work doesn't fit a vision for the future that is based on economic,
rather than academic, ideals.

Results are expected today of a ballot for industrial action by staff in all
subjects and departments.

In January, the head of King's school of arts and humanities, Professor Jan
Palmowski, presented a restructuring consultation document stating that ￡1.52m
had to be saved by the department, and that, as a result, 22 posts had to go.

All academics in arts and humanities have been told they are at risk of
redundancy and will have to make the case for their jobs by proving their
research excellence and their "fit" with the school's newly realigned
priorities. The paper led to a storm of criticism on the internet by academics
around the world.

The fear by King's staff is that the college is prioritising short-term budget
savings and developing those departments that attract high fee-paying students
(ie non EU applicants whose fees are not capped) above the interests of
academic excellence. This, they argue, will set a precedent, resulting in
damage to UK higher education.

"It's not that people are going to be asked to research other things, it's that
they're going to be fired if the research they currently do doesn't fit the
dean's and other figures' unknown conception of what the arts and humanities
should now be up to," says Michael Martin, professor of philosophy at
University College London (UCL), and a friend of some of those threatened by
the planned cuts.

And if King's is successful in its plans to require all its arts and humanities
academics to make a fresh case for their continued employment, Martin says, "in
a way, it means the end of universities in the UK".

The arguments behind his apocalyptic statement are as follows. King's
restructuring consultation document indicates that its vision is to "create
financially viable academic activity" by getting out of areas that don't bring
in sufficient cash. Investment will instead be focused on areas "where
academic priorities correspond to student demand and to Hefce/research counci
agendas".

The priority that King's is now giving to areas that attract high fee-paying
students – which thus increases the school's income – is seen by many
academics as a threat to the principle of their intellectual freedom and
opportunity to develop research excellence in non-commercial subjects, such as
philosophy, medieval history and many languages. Areas that attract higher
income streams have traditionally cross-subsidised those that don't.

"Academics are encouraged to venture into controversial territory and not to
flinch from hostile reactions," says Professor Joseph Raz, of Columbia
University's law school, recently awarded an honorary doctorate of laws at
King's. "This means they are encouraged to make themselves vulnerable." He does
not object to redundancies as a last resort, he says. "Relative security of
tenure is vital to developing the sense of independent inquiry that is
essential to fulfilling their mission."

King's rationale for its planned restructuring and redundancies – described in
its consultation document as a cost-saving exercise – is described by Raz as
not dictated by the cuts "given that the precise way the cuts will be imposed
was not known when they formed their policies – so they are not reacting to
the inevitable".

In addition, the process undertaken to decide who stays and who goes has been
condemned by outside academics as unfair. A spokesperson for the University and
College Union (UCU) says: "We will monitor the consultation processes at King's
for both their meaningfulness and legality."

Universities across the UK are facing tough decisions about how to make cuts.
They were advised by Lord Mandelson, secretary for business, innovation and
skills, to address the holes left in their budgets by focusing on what they do
best. He has also said universities should focus more on practical training
and science and engineering courses with links to industry. Fears are that the
liberal arts could be sidelined.

At Universities UK, the chief executive, Nicola Dandridge, says: "We cannot
comment on the situation at King's College London, but universities are having
to explore how efficiencies can be made. Serious reviews of operating costs
are an inevitable response to economic stringencies."

King's is certainly not the only institution facing difficulties. Strike action
in response to redundancy proposals was taken last Thursday by staff at Sussex
University, while the UCU is balloting members at the University of Westminster
and UCL.

King's says that no final decision has been made as the consultation process
has yet to be completed. Furthermore, it says, "the college wishes to
categorically state that no individual has been told that they will lose their
job. This has been expressly stated in person at staff consultation meetings
by the head of school."

If this is the case, some academics appear to have misconstrued the actions of
King's management. "Thousands of academics have publicly protested," says Raz.
"What has happened so far has damaged King's reputation, at least in the
faculty of arts and humanities".

At UCL, Martin agrees. "It is inconceivable to work at King's now. The only
way is if the current administration all resigned. And my view is far from
eccentric."

Some academics, he points out, are lucky enough to be re-hireable. "Others are
not. Some can be flexible with their employment, but mid-career, you're going
to be expensive. If there is no job security any more, university jobs become
incredibly unattractive. If it becomes standard practice that no matter how
well you do, you can't rely on employment, good people won't want to enter the
profession."

King's robustly denies any mismanagement or wrongdoing in its restructuring
and redundancy process.

"The college management prizes the international reputation of King's, and is
listening to all concerns," says its statement. "These views will be taken
into serious consideration before any decisions are made – that is what is
meant by consultation. The college management deplores the reckless campaign
orchestrated to upset the consultation process by undermining the college's
reputation. The college has conducted the consultation processes in good
faith and believes that the procedures applied in each instance are fair and
transparent."

The college is "exploring all options, including alternatives to redundancies
. As is proper, feedback from staff has been taken on board and it is likely
that the final plan for the school to achieve its savings of 10% over two
years will look different from the original proposals."

At the last count, there were 2,700 signatories to a letter by King's
philosophy students protesting against plans for their department and 38
letters of protest posted online from people across the world.



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