More than 21,000 people have signed a petition opposing proposed redundancies at the University of Exeter, where plans to cut approximately 150 jobs have sparked widespread outrage. The cuts are expected to disproportionately affect the humanities, arts, and social sciences—disciplines for which the Russell Group institution is renowned.
High-profile figures join campaign
Leading figures including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, film critic Mark Kermode, literary biographer Hermione Lee, and former Tory MP Rory Stewart have publicly opposed the cuts. Williams, who received his first honorary degree from Exeter 25 years ago, told the Guardian: “Everyone knows that the funding of higher education in this country leaves university management with deeply unpalatable choices. But it is very worrying that arts and humanities, including religious studies, seem so often to be automatically identified as the first and softest targets.”
Union warns of irreparable damage
The University and College Union (UCU) warned that courses including history, English, modern languages, and politics would suffer “irreparable damage.” Proposed cuts on Exeter’s Falmouth campus also threaten environmental sciences. The UCU argues there is no financial necessity for such drastic cuts, citing the university’s 2024-25 annual report which describes “a year of continued financial stability.”
At a meeting of nearly 700 Exeter UCU members on Wednesday, a unanimous vote backed a ballot for industrial action. Attendees described the atmosphere as “febrile and mutinous” but also “positive and hopeful.”
Economic and cultural impact
Business leaders in the south-west have warned of economic repercussions. In an open letter, they stated: “Fewer students, and a diminished offer, means real consequences for the trade we all depend on.” Kermode, an honorary professor at Exeter who lives in the region, posted on Instagram: “The creative arts are so important in the south-west. These cuts are really ill thought out and they threaten the very things that make me proud of Exeter. Please think again. This is a terrible mistake.”
Public historian Greg Jenner, creator of the You’re Dead to Me podcast, warned on Bluesky: “The crisis in UK higher education is worsening week by week – Exeter University is one of the best in the UK … but it’s planning massive job cuts in history, archaeology, classics.” He added: “The arts and humanities are fundamental to the flourishing of our society; knowledge gathering, critical thinking and creativity should be defended as sacred things.”
National precedent feared
Lee, emeritus professor of English literature at Oxford, said the cuts would set “a savage and alarming precedent for the dismantling of disciplines, which matter profoundly and vitally to the welfare and future of the country.” She urged: “If the leaders of Exeter University carry through these cuts, others will follow. This is not only a local or regional issue. All who value the humanities and their value to the nation should join in protest.”
Stewart posted on X: “Worrying from Exeter – the university it seems planning to slash humanities teaching while telling colleagues it is ‘in line with the government’s industrial strategy’.”
University defends decision
A University of Exeter spokesperson said the institution is consulting on “limited and specific potential changes,” driven by shifting demand or “where current activities are no longer sustainable,” and hopes to avoid compulsory redundancies. “While Exeter remains in a strong position, rising costs, the real-terms decline in tuition fee income, underfunded research and a sustained drop in international student demand mean we must take action now,” they added.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, commented: “While it is always a tragedy, with real human impact, when courses close, it would be irresponsible of managers and governors to ignore changes in demand for different courses.”
