3 Jun 2019
Arts and Humanities Review
Over the last few months, a review group, led by the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Linton, has been considering the arts and humanities provision at Loughborough, particularly the structures that are in place to support their delivery.
The arts and humanities have been an integral part of Loughborough’s subject mix since the University’s earliest days. The aim of the review was to ensure that Loughborough can continue providing opportunities in these subject areas in the years ahead that are vibrant and attractive to students.
The review group proposed a series of changes, which have now been approved by the required University committees.
These structural changes allow us to build on existing strengths to respond to the challenges society is facing both now and in the future and to capitalise on emerging trends and technologies. They will open up exciting opportunities for us to forge new collaborations, particularly linked to teaching, and further embed existing synergies in research and enterprise. They also allow us to expand and enhance our activities in the Creative Arts and Humanities, both of which remain important subject areas for us at Loughborough.
The changes are as follows:
From August 2019, the University’s ten academic Schools will be reduced to nine – the School of the Arts, English and Drama will cease to exist in its current form.
Staff and undergraduate programmes from Drama and the School of the Arts will come together with the Loughborough Design School to form a new School of Design and Creative Arts, led by Professor Cees de Bont as Dean.
Staff and undergraduate programmes from English and Publishing will move to the School of Social Sciences, which will be renamed the School of Social Sciences and Humanities and will be led by Professor Nick Clifford as Dean.
There are no proposed changes in the academic staff who teach the students as a result of this restructure, nor are there any building moves proposed as a result in the foreseeable future.
The University currently offers undergraduate programmes in Drama, Drama with Business Studies, Drama with English, and English and Drama. The numbers of students opting to study these courses at Loughborough is diminishing each year, making it difficult to provide an appropriate cohort and performance experience, and it has therefore been decided to phase these programmes out.
The studies of those currently on these undergraduate programmes will be unaffected by these changes and they will be able to complete them in the normal way.
The last new student intake to these programmes will be in September 2019. Students that register on programmes in 2019 will be able to complete them in the normal way.
Although the Drama courses will be phased out over the coming years, Drama will remain an integral part of our Creative Arts offer and it is anticipated that exciting new programmes will be developed to build on the University’s strengths in the performing arts.
Opportunities for Loughborough students to engage in the performing arts will continue as normal through the Students’ Union societies and LU Arts.