Nearly 13,000 people have signed a petition against plans to cut modern language degrees at the University of Aberdeen as the institution’s governing body meets to discuss the proposals amid a growing backlash.
Last month Aberdeen launched a consultation on its languages provision after a drop in student numbers, with closing all single and joint honours programmes one of the options under consideration, leaving languages taught only as elective modules.
All options would involve “the end of research in the languages at Aberdeen and significant job losses”, says the petition started by academics at the university.
It adds that, if allowed to proceed, programmes that have been in place for more than a century including French, German, Gaelic and Spanish would be “destroyed” and Aberdeen would be left as the only ancient university in the world that does not offer language degrees.
