Stop the Cuts - National Demonstration

How will they effect you ?

As someone who will be, hopefully, looking for a lecturing position soon, I could be without any hope of finding a position.

Look at this: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=414043&c=1

A number of university leaders said that if Lord Browne of Madingley’s proposals to remove funding for “non-priority” subjects were pursued, they would be looking at losing between 75 and 95 per cent of teaching funds.

For example, the LSE, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, connected with over a dozen noble laureates, teacher of dozens of heads of state/government, etc.. will:

lose almost all its teaching funding, equivalent to about £7.7 million a year.

And (from another source: The Daily Telegraph, 28/10/2010, p.10, Nick Collins):

Professor Andrew Hamilton, vice-chancellor of Oxford University, has claimed that government proposals to lift the cap on university tuition fees would not tackle the shortfall created by significant cuts to teaching budgets. The depth of the cuts has generated unease with other vice-chancellors: the LSE says that proposals in the spending review and Browne report could see it lose up to GBP7.7m a year - equal to virtually all its current funding for home and EU students.

So, if one of the most respected universities in the world is on a course which will result in it not being able to pay for its teachers, what's going to happen to the lesser institutes (i.e., Middlesex losing its philosophy department - even though well respected around the world, King's [although not a lesser institute] closing down departments and firing over 200 lecturers).

Basically, I don't see much hope for entry level positions over the next few years in the UK. Of course, maybe they'll fire the high paid, experienced, respected, professors and hire new candidates because they'll be cheaper. That would be nice. Or would it? Then the government is manufacturing a UK humanities and arts brain drain.

It just seems bad no matter how you look at it.