More UK university history departments cutting jobs, courses

Cuts to history departments, particularly in post-92 universities – institutions granted university status in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 – risk turning the subject into the UK’s “elite institution reservation”, it warns a report.

There is a “growing divergence” between the popularity of the subject and the job security of historians in UK institutions, according to the Royal Historical Society (RHS).

His report notes that history is in ‘good health’ as ​​a subject of study – it is one of the most popular subjects for undergraduate studies in the arts, humanities and social sciences, with more than 40,000 students taking it each year.

Despite falling enrollments at university level, history is growing in popularity in schools, with participation increasing in secondary schools and among the general public.

“History is also prominent in public life,” the report said. “We read history, watch programs about the past and visit places of historical interest in greater numbers than ever before.”

The RHS also cites figures showing that, contrary to popular rhetoric, history graduates perform strongly in terms of employability and labor market earnings.

However, he warns, in recent years the subject has witnessed an “alarming increase” in the number of departments facing downsizing and to degree optionscausing “turmoil and disruption”.

An RHS survey of 66 universities found that 39 UK history departments reported staff cuts, while 32 departments reported the loss of history degrees or courses from 2020.

Emma Griffin, President of the RHS and Professor of Modern British History at Queen Mary University of Londonhe said Times Higher Education that two more departments have contacted the company in the past week alone to report consultations for more cuts – part of a sector ‘crisis’.

The society’s report shows that 36% of departments reported closing one or more degree programs starting in 2020 and that 60% experienced a decrease in academic staff levels during this period.

“For trained historians, the implications of such changes are far-reaching and include: the threat of redundancy; reduced scope for innovative teaching and research; greater inequality between institutions; and a diminishing of the influence and contribution of history beyond the university sector,” warns the report, which adds that students will also find their opportunities more limited.

The RHS survey found that departments at post-92 universities are the worst affectedwith 58 percent losing at least one program and 88 percent facing staff cuts.

This has raised particular concern as these departments cater to the largest number of first-generation students, as well as a growing cohort of commuter students who may not be able to transfer to another university.

Griffin underscored the concern, noting that post-’92 years have typically had an excellent record of serving many first-generation students and growing participation.

The cuts, she continued, also hit hard for the large proportion of commuter students who can only study history if their local institution offers it.

“With smaller suppliers exiting the sector, those opportunities are lost,” Griffin said.

“Making history the preserve of elite institutions therefore also makes it the preserve of social elites, raising troubling questions about equality of opportunity in Britain today.”