As you may be aware, staff across our Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences have been in discussions about a programme of change that will ensure Queen Mary continues to be a leading force in research, education and creative practice in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
We have been focusing on three priorities:
Simplifying and focusing our activities to protect research capacity and provide excellent student experience and education.
Developing a secure and sustainable future for the disciplines in our School of Languages, Linguistics and Film (SLLF) and School of English and Drama (SED), so that we continue to build on their fantastic heritage of research and educational excellence.
Investing and innovating to meet our student recruitment ambitions and ensure that students have the outstanding experience they expect when they come to study with us.
Queen Mary, like other universities in the UK, continues to operate in a changing national and international landscape. The ambition to maintain and improve on our success remains at the forefront of all we do.
Throughout our history, Queen Mary and our predecessor institutions have changed with the times, adapting to new circumstances to ensure we could continue to pursue our research and educational missions.
The Faculty has been reviewing its organisational structures and activities to prepare us for any challenges ahead, and to maintain our status as an inventive leader in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
The humanities and social sciences are vital to Queen Mary realising its aim to be the most inclusive and diverse research-intensive university in the world by 2030.
The education and research provided by our Faculty play a leading national role in opening the doors of opportunity and supporting career pathways across arts, humanities, social sciences, creative industries, literatures and languages.
If we begin to address the challenges now, we have a greater opportunity to build the future of the Faculty in the way we want it.
We want to keep all the things that you value about your degree. But we also want to improve in ways that gives you a better experience.
We also want to build an environment that will continue to deliver excellent education and research for the students who come after you.
After consulting Senate on 13 June, the University Council has now approved the proposal to create a new School, which will combine the academic activities currently in SED and SLLF. All existing programmes, activities, staff, and students from SED and SLLF will move to this new School.
We have a strong heritage and expertise in the arts and humanities, and the Faculty and University are proud of these disciplines. Creating the School of the Arts is a great opportunity to improve staff and student experience and enable us to shape the future of research, scholarship and education nationally and internationally.
No. If you are in SED or SLLF then you will be part of the new School of the Arts from September 2024.
There will be no immediate change for students and no difference to the delivery of your course. You will continue the same programme of study and graduate with the same degree. The range of modules available next year will be unaffected, and you will continue to receive support from administrative and academic staff.
We will keep you updated as work progresses, and we welcome your thoughts and ideas throughout this process.
Please send any questions you have that are not addressed here to hss-future@qmul.ac.uk