by Rain Howard, Goldsmiths queer history graduate
People rallied at Goldsmiths, University of London, responding to the university’s decision to cut 97 jobs. This has sparked outrage, particularly because it threatens three MA degree programmes: Queer History, Black British History, and Black British Literature. This follows the dismissal of academic figures, including Dr Justin Bengry.
Speakers from a broad spectrum of the community – union representatives, tutors, students, alumni, and community activists – gathered to condemn management’s actions as an act of vandalism against the university’s rich academic and cultural heritage.
Photo: London SP
The rally was a collective outcry against the erosion of educational integrity. The university’s focus on financial survival overshadows its commitment to academic excellence and diversity.
Management’s ‘Transformation Programme’ – in reality cuts – is purportedly designed to address a financial shortfall due to declining student enrolment, particularly international students. New government policies, restricting international students from bringing their families, exacerbate its decline.
Course closures, departmental restructuring, and redundancies etc simply prioritise short-term financial manoeuvres over the long-term health and mission of the university.
Worse university experience
The entire cohort of incoming Queer History students now face uncertainty regarding their education. The potential reassignment of supervision to staff outside of their specialised fields raises concerns about the loss of critical knowledge and representation.
Representation by those with lived experience is not merely academic. It is essential for preserving the integrity and depth of these specialised programmes. Goldsmiths has a storied history of academic rigour and collective activism, often standing as a beacon in times of educational and financial crisis.
The current predicament also reflects more profound systemic failures in higher education. The drive to marketisation has led to cuts, and a shift in focus from students as scholars to students as revenue streams – an undervaluation of education’s true purpose, where capitalist interests undermine the intrinsic value of learning.
There is an urgent need for a societal shift to a model of higher education that is free, fully state-funded, and accessible to all.
The threats to the Queer History and Black British academic programmes are taking place at a time of rising anti-trans and racist rhetoric, emboldened by far-right groups, and abetted by the capitalist media and government policies.
Defending these programmes, as part of the broader struggle against oppression and discrimination is crucial. This rally at Goldsmiths underscored the necessity of collective action and solidarity.