University's 'crucial' department faces axe

Published on Sunday 19 April 2009 22:01

A LEADING Scottish university is to cut a world-class department in a bid to save cash.

St Andrews University believes its geo-science department is no longer financially viable and plans to stop enrolling students.

However, experts in the field say the subject is crucial in tackling issues facing the planet – such as global warming and pollution.

Places on the undergraduate geo-science degree would be withdrawn from 2010 but those students currently on the course will be able to complete their studies.

A spokesman for the university said the move would allow for development of new courses in the faculty of geography and sustainable development.

He said: "The decision was not taken lightly and it is no reflection on the quality of the programme, of the students taking it, or the academic staff who teach on it.

"The decision was a strategic one, as part of the university's ongoing need to provide for the research and teaching commitments of all of its academic disciplines."

Geo-science is part of the school of geography and geo- sciences which was rated as one of the best in the UK in the recent Research Assessment Exercise ranking university research.

More than 95 per cent of the school's research activity is internationally recognised, excellent or world-class. At present, geo-science admits around 20 students per year.

The spokesman added: "Although the geo-science undergraduate programmes at St Andrews are of high quality, a recent review by the university has established that continued success is dependent on disproportionately high infrastructure and teaching costs."

It is understood that the university's previous principal and head of school believe a distinct geo-science degree is not justified and intend to make a formal recommendation to the university's science faculty business committee to withdraw the course.

The Scotsman understands the move was put in place before the current principal, Dr Louise Richardson, took up her post earlier this year. The university stressed there would be no redundancies and staff would be redeployed within the faculty.

The spokesman added: "The university remains committed to continuing its support of the environmental change research group within the school of geography and geo-sciences, to which the geo-scientists contribute.

"The external environment is changing rapidly and it is important St Andrews is able to respond academically to the increasing demands for expertise in these areas."

The British Geological Survey said it would prefer to see the subject expand rather than be cut.

David Bailey, head of research for the British Geological Survey, said: "It is a well respected department. One of the things we are trying to show is that we are going to need geo-scientists to solve some of the problems people are going to face in the future."