Save Academic Excellence at the University of Leicester: Help Reduce the Devastating Cuts to Essential Academic Programmes

Update: November 2025

On 28th October 2025 the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester Professor Nishan Canagarajah emailed staff and students to let them now that the University has decided to move on to the next stage following this summer's pre-change engagement. From Monday 3rd November the University will begin a formal consultation on proposed changes in six areas: Chemistry, Geography, Geology and the Environment, History, Modern Languages, Film Studies, and the Professional Services Function: College Operations. On the same day, the University would open a "voluntary severance scheme" to help reduce pay costs and minimise the need for compulsory redundancies. 

One week later, we were told what these plans entailed. This includes the closure of the Modern Languages and Film Studies programme from 2026/27, with all staff in this area being told they are at risk of redundancy. In the other areas (History, Chemistry, Geology and the Environment, and College Operations), job cuts are also envisaged under the guise of "reshaping" the University. Instead, this will harm the University and limit options for students, increase workloads for staff and dismantle vital areas of research and support.

The University of Leicester has directly outlined the risks of these changes taking places. They have told students that despite the reputational risks and the endangerment of current and future research, it must prioritise institutional sustainability. Firstly, this clearly demonstrates the lack of respect the University leadership has towards the incredible and important work the many researchers and students are doing within these departments. Secondly, the University is only creating more instability by removing these departments and putting jobs at risk. It sends a message to all areas of study that your academic significance does not matter. What matters is you create a profit for the University. 

None of this represents a strategy to secure the long-term stability of the University. It is an easy route taken by senior management, one that has been utilised before at Leicester and one that will be utilised again and again if they are successful. Despite the solutions offered by staff on how to raise income and reduce unnecessary expenditure during the initial "pre-change" process, which was supposedly there to explore how to stop redundancies, many of us feel deflated that it has made little difference. The University has consistently stated that "no final decisions have been made", however for us nothing is changing for the better and we are not seeing any alternative options. 

Take Action Now

The University of Leicester has built its reputation on academic excellence, innovative research, and commitment to students. Sign this petition to show that students, staff, alumni, and the public demand that the university continue to uphold these values. 

Additional Actions

Contact your MP about the crisis in higher education funding.

Write to the University of Leicester (SRFeedback@le.ac.uk) regarding your concerns.

In 2024, the University of Leicester ranked as 191 out of over 2,000 universities assessed globally for the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[1] To score in the top 10%, the university was assessed on eighteen indicators, including these five key areas: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook.  Additionally, the university ranked in the top 25 universities in the UK. 

None-the-less, the University of Leicester is facing a crisis that threatens to dismantle decades of academic excellence and research leadership.  A proposal  has been released to eliminate faculty positions across Chemistry, Education, Film Studies, Geography, Geology, and the Environment, History, and Modern Languages. Doing so would eliminate world-class research programs that have contributed to Leicester’s national and international success. Leicester’s research programs in these fields have produced groundbreaking discoveries and space science and planetary geology, award-winning historical research and public engagement, critical environmental research addressing climate change, innovative approaches to language learning and cultural studies, and teacher training programs serving regional educational needs that have helped combat the national teacher shortage. 

Additionally, changes on this scale would result in severe reductions in the university’s educational capacity and research output. Students at every level would be directly affected by these changes.  Undergraduate students would see reduced course offerings and larger class sizes. International students risk program disruptions and funding disruptions which could result in visa complications. Postgraduate researchers may lose access to specialised supervisors and research facilities, and may even lose the ability to complete their degrees in their intended specialisations.

Universities across the UK are facing similar problems. Allowing these changes to proceed places long-term academic value below short-term financial  relief.  We cannot allow this to stand. 

Update 23/6/25: Thank you everyone for your support! Over the last week or two we have had cross-departmental meetings to discuss these changes with the University and many students have been in contact with Department Representatives in order to see how they can help. There have also been meetings with University College Union members in order to take further steps to let the University of Leicester know this cannot go forward. The support has been fantastic so far but this is still the very early stages so please continue to send around this petition and raise awareness of the situation. 

[1] Times Higher Education, ‘World University Rankings 2025,’ Times Higher Education, October 2024. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking