The Department of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the most respected music departments in the UK: ranked 3rd in the UK for the quality of our publications in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework; hosting the only Regius Professorship in Music, awarded by HM the Queen in 2014 in recognition of our department’s distinction in research and teaching; and ranked 6th in the UK for Music in the 2022 Complete University Guide. Recognition for our current research is shown by grants awarded from UK research councils totalling almost £1.4 million since September 2020.
However, as part of a College-wide initiative in ‘Academic Realignment’, we have been informed of proposals to severely cut our staffing and research provisions. We believe these proposals to be based on seriously flawed estimates, conducted at an internal College level, rather than seeking expert knowledge from across the sector. The proposed ‘realignment’ stems from a forecasted loss of college overall income across the next ten years, despite no evidence offered for this (and a healthy financial situation at present). The Music Department is targeted for two reasons: 1) that our staff-student ratio is claimed to be low compared to sector averages, and 2) that our Music curriculum should be more ‘integrated’ and ‘broader’. From this position, management has put forward proposals amounting to losing 2.5 fte positions, most likely at a professorial level, as well as removing research from a 0.5 fte composition post, and a further loss of 1.0 fte in instrumental and vocal teaching. This amounts to a loss of almost 25% of our staff. . . .
However, as part of a College-wide initiative in ‘Academic Realignment’, we have been informed of proposals to severely cut our staffing and research provisions. We believe these proposals to be based on seriously flawed estimates, conducted at an internal College level, rather than seeking expert knowledge from across the sector. The proposed ‘realignment’ stems from a forecasted loss of college overall income across the next ten years, despite no evidence offered for this (and a healthy financial situation at present). The Music Department is targeted for two reasons: 1) that our staff-student ratio is claimed to be low compared to sector averages, and 2) that our Music curriculum should be more ‘integrated’ and ‘broader’. From this position, management has put forward proposals amounting to losing 2.5 fte positions, most likely at a professorial level, as well as removing research from a 0.5 fte composition post, and a further loss of 1.0 fte in instrumental and vocal teaching. This amounts to a loss of almost 25% of our staff. . . .
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