University funding 'not working' - vice chancellor

The vice chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University has called for the government to increase tuition fees in line with inflation.

Professor Rama Thirunamachandran told the BBC the "funding model for higher education is not working", citing changes in student visa rules and rising costs as reasons why his institution is having to cut costs.

The university is planning to axe up to 400 jobs, and has already cut 148 through a voluntary redundancy scheme.

"This government inherited a sector facing serious financial risk and has taken tough decisions to fix the foundations of higher education," the Department of Education said.

Prof Thirunamachandran said: "The tuition fees which were set in 2013 have only been slightly upgraded. They are worth two thirds of what they were."

Canterbury Christ Church University is also phasing out its English Literature degree after current students graduate.

The vice chancellor said this was necessary because of a lack of student demand, adding "not every university can run every subject when the demand has fallen".

Freya Hodge, a second year English literature and history student, said: "In Canterbury, you've got an abundance of literary legends, like Chaucer, Aphra Benn."

She added: "To now actually get rid of the subject is just a betrayal of the city's legacy."

Craig Potter, the chair of the local branch of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) said the cuts have taken an emotional toll on staff.

"To be under threat of losing their jobs is incredibly hard for everybody," he said.

"I have people come to me at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day in tears, and people having to go off sick at the stress of it all," he said.

The University of Kent is aiming to save nearly £20m this year, mostly through a voluntary redundancy scheme and not filling vacant roles.

It is also phasing out six courses, including health and social care, art history, and philosophy.

Dr Taymaz Azimi, a philosophy lecturer at the University of Kent, said he will be entering a sparse job market when his course ends in 2026.

"Not only do new positions not open, we are losing the existing positions every year," he said.

"So losing your job means really struggling."

In a statement, the University of Kent said: "Sector finances are under severe pressure and, like many other institutions, we have been making wide-ranging changes to our operation to address this and reflect what students and government are looking for from universities."

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