Aberdeen University bosses back end to single honours languages degrees but will continue joint honours programmes

Announcement made after 13,000 people back online petition opposing plans

Aberdeen University bosses plan to move forward with cuts to languages degrees but will still offer joint honours programmes.

The recommendation is the least drastic of the three options being considered, but it is understood could still lead to staff reductions and the end of single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German and Spanish.

The university has been under fire over its consultation on the future of languages courses, with more than 13,000 people signing a petition opposing the plans.

Aberdeen University King's College building

Bosses said the existing provision modern languages was “unsustainable”, following a “steep fall” in student numbers.

Reacting to the announcement on social media, the Aberdeen branch of the UCU trade union said: “The announcement is vague on the future of research, which has implications for the jobs of our members, and this approach still leaves no single honours degree provision north of the Tay. This is not over.”

Professor Karl Leydecker, who chairs the university’s steering group looking at language provision, said: “The university absolutely understands how much our community and the wider public care about modern languages including Gaelic.

“We have been heartened by the many offers of support and advice on maintaining degree programmes and the ideas that colleagues have brought forward to address their sustainability. We will also make concerted efforts to increase the uptake of the opportunities we offer to all our students to learn languages.

“As a result, we’re extending the consultation period by a month to allow time for further detailed discussions on how to grow demand and address financial sustainability.

“We have always said that we will continue to teach languages at the university. Today’s decision means that we will continue to offer joint degree programmes in modern languages, including Gaelic.

“We have listened to the compelling arguments about the importance of language degrees, continuing to be available in the north-east of Scotland. As a result, before the consultation period ends, we are homing in on the first option on the table in the consultation.

“Like others in the sector, our university has a very challenging period to weather but we are working to build firm foundations to ensure a bright long-term future ahead with language provision an important part of that.”