Edinburgh University to mothball 90 courses as five weeks of strikes to start
The university said mothballing 90 courses will not detract from the institutions standing on the world stage
Edinburgh University has announced plans to mothball 90 courses as five weeks of strikes are set to begin.
In an announcement to staff, the institution said programmes will be “taught out” - closed to new students - as part of a “refresh”.
Management claim the changes are part of regular reviews of the academic portfolio, which adapts to “student demand” and an “evolving job market”.
Some of the courses have had no or very low enrolments over a number of years.
However, the university is also undergoing the most swingeing cuts seen in Scottish higher education.
Strike action will start on September 28 and continue to October 30.
The dispute centres on £140 million cuts announced by the principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, in early 2025 and an estimated 1,800 job losses.
Staff were told on Thursday that the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), will lose a total of 48 programmes.
Professor Alex Thomson, Head of the school, said the university is a leading provider of modern languages and of Celtic and Scottish studies in the UK.
“This will not change,” Prof Thomson said.
“We are refreshing our programme to consolidate our offering for future students and make their degree pathways easier to navigate.
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“These decisions have been made after thoughtful consideration and we believe the refresh will hold our School in great standing for many years to come.”
Some six programmes will be closed in the Moray House School of Education and Sport, four in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, and six in the School of Social and Political Science.
A total of 10 will be removed from the School of Divinity, five at the Edinburgh College of Art, one from the School of Economics, three in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, and four in Edinburgh Law School.
A university spokeswoman said: “While closures are not unusual, decisions are never made lightly.
“We have a world‑leading reputation as a powerhouse of the arts, humanities and social sciences. “We deliver internationally recognised research, excellent teaching and meaningful public contribution.
“Protecting this position at a time of sustained financial pressure across the university sector is critical, and it requires conscious and sometimes difficult choices.”
Staff at Edinburgh have already taken multiple days of strike action and participated in a marking and assessment boycott because of a refusal of management to rule out compulsory redundancies.
Hundreds of staff have already lost their jobs through what the University and College Union (UCU) dubs “hidden redundancies”.
These include fixed term contacts not being renewed as would normally happen and hourly-paid staff having their hours reduced.
Over 18 months of campaigning and industrial pressure, including three ballots and strikes, the threat to jobs and student education remains.
UCU Edinburgh branch co-president Lena Wånggren said: “Our members have been clear that compulsory redundancies must not be the university’s answer to its financial challenges.
“Five weeks of strike action is not what anyone wants, but members are prepared to take action to protect jobs.
“UCU members are prepared to take action for our colleagues and our students – we want to safeguard students’ education not just for five weeks in autumn but for the future.”
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