21 November 2025
Dear Vice Chancellor and Chair of the Council,
Re: Proposed course suspensions and potential closures
As MPs representing constituents who study at and are employed by the University of Nottingham, we write to urge you to reconsider the proposed course suspensions and potential closures to core areas including languages, music, mental health and child nursing, social work, and biosciences. This would have a profound impact on staff, students and the city and county more widely.
We recently met with the University of Nottingham UCU branch, which noted that, while staff are not opposed to changes to courses and they recognise that the university is facing challenges, there has been lack of transparency, proper consultation and due care throughout the process. Alongside the UCU, we would like to see management engage with staff in the respective courses to develop alternative
solutions which ensure the survival of these subject areas.
We were informed that the proposed course suspensions and potential closures are being carried out without following the university’s own governance, quality manual and quality standards processes. It is imperative that the university properly consults with staff and key stakeholders, through the proper channels and established timeframes, before making any decisions. We understand that the union fears that the compressed timeframe is being used to avoid proper consultation with staff and campus trade unions. We were concerned to hear that, while members of the UCU recently agreed to stand down action in order to engage in ‘immediate and meaningful’
discussions to explore the reversal of course suspensions, the university is continuing to argue that these courses should move from suspension to closure, and will present this case to the university Council on 24th and 25th November. It is also our understanding that 1200 staff have signed an open letter to the Council citing a lack of proper consultation and adherence to due process, calling for decisions to be taken more slowly, carefully, and with proper staff involvement.
The UCU also raised with us concerns in relation to the methodology used to decide which courses are suspended, such as using tariffs as a performance measure, creating a risk of indirect discrimination; the number programmes serving widening participation cohorts represented on the suspension list; the lack of Equality Impact Assessments published for the proposals; and the use of National Students Surveys and continuation metrics in a way that disproportionately affects small cohorts. The closures may also significantly reduce the university’s contribution to local and national civic life; impact the region’s public sector capacity, including teacher supply, NHS
workforce development and languages; weaken UoN’s identity as a research-intensive civic university; and impact global engagement and local community partnership.
We urge transparency and a pause to the process. We back the UCU’s calls to:
- Immediately pause all programme suspensions pending further review.
- Publish full datasets, modelling assumptions, thresholds, and weightings.
- Release comprehensive Equality Impact Assessments for each affected subject.
- Establish an independent methodological review panel including statisticians, EDI experts, and elected academic representatives.
- Co-produce three-year enhancement plans for any programme identified as needing development.
- Properly follow the governance processes for course changes, which include School, Faculty, ESE Directorate, Senate and then Council.
We hope that the university will work closely with the UCU, which is co-producing a counter proposal, which presents a detailed and workable alternative focused on: transparent modelling and clear data assumptions; academic enhancement plans rather than withdrawals; financial sustainability aligned with academic breadth; meaningful equality analysis integrated throughout the process; a stronger framework for civic responsibility and regional impact; and adherence to university governance processes.
If there is any assistance we can provide in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Nadia Whittome
Member of Parliament for Nottingham East
Juliet Campbell
Member of Parliament for Broxtowe
Lilian Greenwood
Member of Parliament for Nottingham South
James Naish
Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe
Alex Norris
Member of Parliament for Nottingham North and Kimberley
Michael Payne
Member of Parliament for Gedling
Michelle Welsh
Member of Parliament for Sherwood Forest