Glasgow dons unite

The cuts in academic provision proposed by the University of Glasgow management must be a matter of public and political concern for the greater Glasgow area and for Scotland as a whole. The university management is bringing forward plans to cut courses in a range of modernlanguages (possibly reducing provision to only two languages), in nursing, anthropology and adult education, as well as cutting back in areas such as archaeology and classics and the Centre for Drugs Misuse Research. Universities are independent institutions, but they are publicly funded and are a vital part of the economic, cultural and social fabric of this country. The future of university funding in Scotland is unclear. Pending decisions on future funding mechanisms and levels, which will be taken following the Scottish elections in May, every effort must be made to avoid damaging and irreversible cuts to subject areas. The management of any one institution must not be allowed to pre-empt political decisions and unilaterally decide the shape of future educational provision in key disciplines in Scotland's largest city. Recent reports have highlighted the importance of languages in higher education. In 2009 Baroness Coussins commented: "Unless the decline in modern language learning is reversed, Anglophone Britons will become one of the most monolingual peoples in the world, with severe consequences for our economy, for business competitiveness, for international reputation and mobility and for community cohesion at home." The British Academy report , Language Matters More and More (9 February 2011), warns that further reductions in language provision in universities "will have wider, detrimental impacts on UK social, cultural and economic well-being". Teaching and research in modern languages and cultures has suffered severe attrition in Scotland in recent years. There have been cuts or ongoing threats of cuts in the range of languages taught at Edinburgh and St Andrews. Languages provision at Strathclyde has been reduced severely with the loss of Russian and German and a massive reduction in the complement of full academic staff in the remaining areas. The University of the West of Scotland is phasing out languages, and Glasgow Caledonian does not offer language degrees. At Stirling, only French and Spanish degree courses are provided. Notwithstanding serious reductions in staffing over some years, Glasgow remains the key provider of degree courses in a wider range of foreign languages and cultures in the West of Scotland. Alongside the threat to degree programmes in modern languages, there is a serious threat to cut courses in adult and continuing education. Language classes account for a major part of the activities of this unit. The proposal to axe these courses along with the plans potentially to cut degree-level courses in Czech, Polish, German, Italian and Russian represent a comprehensive assault on educational provision in foreign languages and cultures in the city of Glasgow and the West of Scotland. We call on the minister responsible for higher education to do everything in his power to influence the management of the University of Glasgow and to ensure that the university continues to fulfil its historic role as an outward-looking institution rooted in the community that it serves rather than working primarily to maximise income in the international marketplace. In this respect the recent British Academy report urges universities to "adopt a wider definition of' internationalisation' rather than focus simply on the recruitment of overseas students'. The University of Glasgow must continue to serve the needs of Scotland in providing excellent higher education that can open up international and European perspectives for the young people of Scotland, giving them the opportunity to develop high-level linguistic skills and intercultural understanding as part of a broad-ranging humanities education. Glasgow University staff: Jan Culik, senior lecturer in Slavonic studies Julie Clark, urban studies Prof Mark Furse, competition law Dr Francesca Stella, CEES/sociology Dr Lucy Pickering, sociology Dr Mo Hume, politics Prof Bill Hanson, archaeology Christine Leslie, Centre for Business History in Scotland Dr Fiona Patrick, education Dr G Matt Davies, environmental stewardship (Dumfries) Dr Kate Reid, education Dr Dot Reid, law Patsy Shiels, education Dr Matthew Waites, sociology Dr Zoe Strachan, English literature Dr Ruth Dukes, School of Law Carole Ann Bain, Centre for Drug Misuse Research Paddy Lyons, English literature Dr Eamonn Butler, central and east European studies Dr Anselm Heinrich, theatre studies Dr Ross G Anderson, corporate and financial law Dr Ben Colburn, philosophy Dr Madhavi Nevader, theology and religious studies Dr Susan Stuart, philosophy Dr Maud Anne Bracke, history Prof Willy Maley, English Literature Prof Robert Gibbs, history of art Prof Martin Cloonan, music Natasha Ferguson, administrative assistant, Centre for Battlefield Archaeology Dr Robert Maslen, English literature Prof John Butt, music Thomas Munck, history Steve Reid, studio technician, music Dr Victoria Harrison, reader in philosophy Dr Olivia Lelong, archaeology Dr Alan Leslie, archaeology Dr Geraldine Parsons, Celtic & Gaelic Rebecca Kay, central and east European studies Dr Vassiliki Kolocotroni, English literature Andrea Carr, School of Education – administration Dr Aileen McHarg, School of Law Dr Andrew Smith, sociology Dr Andreas Rahmatian, School of Law Prof Richard Berry, Centre for Russian Central and East European Studies Dr. Paul Routledge, geographical and earth sciences Dr Sarah Armstrong, Centre for Crime and Justice Research Prof Stephen White, politics David Featherstone, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences Dr Andrea Roppa, archaeology Dr Dr. Vikki Turbine, politics Christine Ferguson (English literature) Dr Moya Flynn, central and east European studies Prof Jane Duckett, Chinese & comparative politics Prof Alan Weir, philosophy Dr Clare McManus, central and east European studies Linda Knox, classics Errolinda Ward, accounting and finance Dr Andrew Roach, history Dr Jeanette Findlay, economics Prof Jim Murdoch, School of Law Dr Michael Given, archaeology Dr Lisa Irene Hau, classics Prof Lindsay Farmer, School of Law Dr Chris Dalglish, archaeology Dr Maureen Park, adult and continuing education Dr Alec MacKinnon, School of Education Dominic McCafferty, adult and continuing education Prof Peter van Dommelen, archaeology Prof Johan van der Walt, law Prof Lynn Abrams, gender history Dr Michel Byrne, Celtic and Gaelic Elena Solá Simón, education Dr Anna Morgan-Thomas, business and management Julie E McAdam, education Rev Dr Doug Gay, theology Dr Moira Ann Harris, tutor in music, adult and continuing education. Dr Sabina Siebert, Business School Dr Evelyn Arizpe, School of Education, Heather Russell, geographical and earth sciences Steven Kendrick, STRADA Kat Husbands, economic and social history Prof Alison Phipps, languages and intercultural studies, education Dr Martin MacGregor, history Prof David Maxwell, PhD, professor of neuroanatomy Dr Mark Freeman, economic and social history Prof Allan M Mowat BSc PhD MBChB FRCPath, professor of mucosal immunology Dr Andrew Cumbers, reader in human geography Prof S David Jackson, Chemistry Prof Ken Brown, School of Mathematics and Statistics Prof Hugh Nimmo, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology Dr Angela McDonald, education Dr Iain Johnstone, School of Life Science Dr Ian Jeffcoate, veterinary physiology Dr Paul Cockshott, computing science Dr Jane Goldman, reader in English literature Prof Tom Guthrie, professor of private law Prof John O'Reilly, professor of control engineering Michael Beglan, chemistry Dr SV Graham, infection immunity and inflammation Dr Bill Stewart, civil engineering Neil Isaacs, emeritus professor of chemistry Dott.ssa Giovanna Vignati, adult and continuing education Katja Riek, adult and continuing education Lina Weckner, adult and continuing education Dr Luisella Golzio Mosley, adult and continuing education Sandy Beveridge, adult and continuing education David Welsh, adult and continuing education Elisabetta Toreno, adult and continuing education Dr Emanuela Ponti, adult and continuing education Dr Moira Ann Harris, tutor in music, adult and continuing education Dr Frank Christian, molecular pharmacology John Crossan, geography Dr Joseph V Gray, School of Life Sciences Dr Anna Amtmann, Institute of Molecular, Cellular and Systems Biology Ian Goode, theatre, film and television studies Dr Robina Ullah, Institute of Cancer Sciences Dr Kate Stevens, College of MVLS Prof Elizabeth Robertson, University of Glasgow, English language Dr Stella Bolaki, English literature Dr Charlotte Methuen, lecturer in ecclesiastical history Dr Katie Gough, lecturer, theatre studies Dr Elsa Ekevall, life sciences Dr Mary Tatner, School of Life Sciences Dr David Irvine, Haematology Prof AJ Todd, neuroscience Dr Hannah Stevens, cardiovascular and medical sciences Dr Niall Fraser, lecturer in cardiovascular sciences Dr Katherine West, Institute of Cancer Sciences Dr Dawn A Firmin, immunology Dr Katie White, cardiovascular and medical sciences Dr Ronald Baxendale, reader, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Samantha Alvarez-Madrazo, Glasgow, Cardiovascular Research Centre Prof Stephen T Driscoll, professor of historical archaeology Dr Joseph Hughes, biological sciences Dr Sarah Meek, School of Medicine Dr Anna Kilbey, molecular oncology Dr BA Bannatyne, CMVLS Dr Ross MacLeod, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine Prof Mhairi Macrae, neuroscience Dr Clare Marney, Dental School Dr Robert A Anderson, forensic medicine Andrew Toft, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology Dr Jonathan A Coles, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Dr John Bates, Slavonic studies Marta Becquet, Slavonic studies Dr Barbara Burns, German Adeline Callander, administrator, modern languages Dougal Campbell, French Prof John Campbell, French Dr Donatella Fischer, Italian Dr Nathanial Gardner, Hispanic studies Dr Luis Gomez Kirsty Gowling-Afchain, French Dr Elwira Grossman, Slavonic studies Dr Laurence Grove, French Dr Anne Holloway, Hispanic studies Arabella Infantino, Italian Dr Shamil Khairov, Slavonic studies Mónica Legazpi Iglesias, Hispanic studies Dr Laura Martin, comparative literature Dr John McCulloch, Hispanic studies Maria Merkel, German Dr Penny Morris, Italian Dr Eanna O'Ceallachain, Italian Dr Karen Pena Prof Keith Reader, French Dr Victoria Reid, French Dr Andrei Rogatchevski, Slavonic studies Dr Jim Simpson, French Dr Mirna Solic, Slavonic studies Dr Margaret Tejerizo, Slavonic studies Prof Mark Ward, German Dr Amy Wygant, French Dr William L Maxwell, senior lecturer in human anatomy Prof Greg Philo, Glasgow University Media Group Prof MR Blatt FRSE, regius professor of botany Dr Brígida Pastor, Hispanic studies Dr Helen Sutherland, education Dr Jane Munday, molecular parasitologist Dr Elisa Alvarez-Curto, Molecular Pharmacology Group Margaret C Sneddon, head of nursing and health care Dr Guillaume Rousselet, neuroscience and psychology Victoria Penpraze, physiology and sports science Chloé Millet, French Dr Dilys Freeman, Centre for Population and Health Sciences Dr Nicola Veitch, School of Life Sciences Dr Yannis Pitsiladis, College of Medicine, Veterinary and Life Sciences Kelly Chung, Centre of Population Health Sciences Dr Ramona Salazar-Ferrer, French Prof NB.Metcalfe FRSE, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health etc. Dr Stephen McVitie, School of Physics and Astronomy Stuart Campbell, DACE Dr David McGuinness, lecturer in music Dr Rachel Smith, lecturer/RCUK academic fellow, English language Dr Thomas Sardella, neuroscience Donald Mackenzie, English literature Prof Chris Philo, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences Dr Lucio Marcello, molecular parasitology Prof Gerry Graham FRSE, immunology Dr Nicola van Rijsbergen, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging Dr Hazel Cruickshanks, Centre for Oncology and Appplied Pharmacology Dr Rachael E Jack, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging Dr Monika Mihm Carmichael, School of Veterinary Medicine Prof Pat Monaghan, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Dr Angela McCahill, molecular pharmacology Dr Sarah Mackay, anatomy Prof Darren G. Monckton, human genetics Alison M Cairns, senior clinical university teacher, paediatric dentistry Dr Mairi Sandison, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology Dr David I Hughes, lecturer in anatomy Dr Anthony Buckley, microbiology Dr Malcolm Donaldson, senior lecturer in child health Prof Lorraine N Smith, nursing Ann Marie Rice, nursing Dr Barbara Mable, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Dr Phil Wilson, general practice and primary care Dr Katherine Price, university teacher, School of Life Sciences Prof Malcolm Kennedy, School of Biology Dr Deborah Dewar, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology Dr Stewart White, School of Life Sciences