Speaking from institutions across the country and the perspectives of a wide range of disciplines, we write to express our profound consternation at the Higher Education Academy's decision to discontinue funding for all subject centres from July 2011, replacing them with staff directly employed by the HEA ("130 jobs will go as HEA set to scrap its subject centres", 18 November).
The success of the subject centres since their inception has been considerable. They have initiated a range of innovatory practices; funded the publication of valuable research into the nature and consequences of what we do; and articulated the views of both teachers and students energetically and with clarity. In so doing, they have provided an invaluable (and previously unavailable) discipline-specific contribution to education and training for university teachers while substantially increasing both the profile and prestige of teaching and learning in the UK academy.
It is hard to think of other bodies more valued by the communities that the subject centres serve. As UK higher education faces some of the greatest challenges it has ever encountered, the centres' work is more crucial than ever. We call upon the HEA to reverse its decision to discontinue their funding.
Dr Andrea Abbas, Principal Lecturer in Sociology, Teesside University; Dr Pascale Aebischer, Department of English, Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter; Patrick Ainley, Professor of Training and Education, University of Greenwich School of Education; Dr Julie Anderson, Associate Director ESC alate, the SC for Education, University of Plymouth; Dr Pauline Anderson, Head of Department of Social Sciences, Policy and Criminology, University of Wolverhampton; Professor Joe Andrew, Film Studies, Literature and Culture, Keele University; Dr Jason Annetts, Divisional Leader, Sociology, Social & Health Sciences, University of Abertay Dundee; Dr Paul Bagguley, Reader in Sociology, University of Leeds; Dr Mark Bailey, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Ulster; Maggie Bailey, Visiting Lecturer University of Chester; Victoria Bazin, Senior Lecturer, Northumbria University; Professor John Beath, School of Economics and Finance, University of St. Andrews, Fyfe; Fran Beaton, Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice, PGCHE Programme Director and Chief Examiner, Academic Practice, Academic Practice Team; Alan Booth, Professor of History, University of Nottingham; Dr Tracy Brain, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Bath Spa University; John D Brewer, MRIA, FRSE, AcSS, FRSA, Professor of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Aberdeen; Billy Brick, Languages Centre Manager, Faculty of Business, Environment and Society, Coventry University; Professor Susan Bruce, Head of the School of Humanities, Keele University; Isabelle Buchstaller, Lecturer in Social Linguistics, Newcastle University; Nick Byrne, Director, Language Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science; Dr Aidan Byron, Senior Lecturer in English and Media/Cultural Studies, University of Wolverhampton; Dr Rachel Carroll, Principal Lecturer in English, Teesside University; Julian Case, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities, University Campus Suffolk; Dr Nicoleta Cinpoes, Senior Lecturer in English, Co-Director, Early Modern Research Group, Course Leader for English Literary Studies, University of Worcester; Dr Billy Clark, Senior Lecturer in English Language, Middlesex University; Dan Clayton, Research Fellow, Survey of English Usage , University College London; Dr Shelley Cobb, Teaching Fellow in English, University of Southampton; Karen Coe, Lecturer in English Literature, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, University Centre at Blackburn College; Ian Cook, Emeritus Professor of Human Geography, Liverpool John Moores University; Ross Coomber, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Director, Drug and Alcohol Research Unit, University of Plymouth; Dr Stephen Cope, Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Nottingham; Professor K P Corrigan, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, University of Newcastle; Professor Malcolm Crook, History Department, Keele University; Mike Cuthbert, Law Tutor, University of Nottingham; Michael Cribb, Senior Lecturer in English Language, Coventry University;; Professor Vince Daly, Director of Economic Research, Kingston University; Andrew Davey, Projects Assistant, Modern Languages, University of Southampton; Dr Matthew Day, Head of English, Newman University College; Richard De Friend, Chair, Academic Board, Senior Academic Registrar Director, College of Law, Bloomsbury; Dr Jessica De Mellow, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Chichester; Dr W J Dixon, Head of the School of Sociology and Criminology, Keele University; Nigel Duncan, Principal Lecturer, City University, London; Professor Jackie Eales, Co-convenor, History UK, Canterbury Christchurch University; Karen Edwards, Senior Lecturer, English Department, Exeter University; Professor Paul Edwards, English and History of Art, Bath Spa University; Dr Dave Ellis, Head of Department, Department of Humanities, Wolverhampton University; Elizabeth Ettorre, Professor of Sociology, Head of School of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Liverpool; Sue Exley, Lecturer in Education, University of Plymouth; Katherine Farrimond, Doctoral Candidate/Postgraduate Tutor, Newcastle University; Professor R Fischman, Music, Keele University; Anthony Fothergill, Senior Lecturer in English, College of Humanities, University of Exeter; Professor Lorna Fox-O'Mahoney, Durham Law School, Durham; Dr Rachel Fyson, MA Social Work Programme Director, School of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Nottingham; Dr Ian Gadd, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Bath Spa University; Anne Gasteen, Senior Lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian University; Dr Aisha Gill, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Roehampton University; Dr Joanne Gill, Senior Lecturer in Twentieth Century Literature, University of Exeter; Dr Stacy Gillis, Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University; John Goodridge, Professor of English, Nottingham Trent University; Dr. Martin Gough, Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice, University of Kent; Ross Graham, Senior Lecturer, English and Languages, Coventry University; Dr Stephen Gregg, Senior Lecturer in English, Bath Spa University; Dr Yvonne Griggs, English and Creative Writing, De Montfort University, Leicester; Dr Kyriaki Hadjiafxendi, Teaching Fellow, University of Exeter; Dr Jeni Harden, Reader in Sociology, Edinburgh Napier University; Andrew Harding, Visiting Lecturer, University of Chester; Dr E Hauge, Deputy Director, Centre for Applied Language Research, University of Southampton; Dr Joanne Haynes, Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Education, University of Plymouth; Edwina Higgins, Manchester Metropolitan University School of Law; Dr Tracey Hill, Head of English and Cultural Studies, Bath Spa University; John Holmwood, Chair, UK Council of Heads and Professor of Sociology, University of Nottingham; Dr Peter Howarth, Chair, The Association of University Language Centres, UK and Ireland, University of Leeds; Professor Ann Hughes, Co-convenor, History UK, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire; Professor William Hughes, Department of English, Bath Spa University; Peter Hungerford-Welch, Principal Lecturer, The City Law School, City University, London; Dr Anna Hunter, Lecturer, in Employability and Enterprise, University of Central Lancashire; Jodie Hunter, Research fellow in Mathematics and Statistics, University of Plymouth; Dr Christopher Ivic, Senior Lecturer in English, Bath Spa University; Helen James, Head of Law, University of Winchester; Michael Jardine, Head of English, University of Winchester; Professor David Jary, Emeritus Professor, Staffordshire University; Jennifer Jenkins, Chair of Global Englishes, University of Southampton; Valerie Jessop, Course Leader, English Language and Literary Studies, University Centre at Blackburn College; Professor Matthew Johnson, Professor of Archaeology, University of Southampton; Dr Adeline Johns-Putri, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Exeter; Professor Ken Jones, Head of Educational Studies, Goldsmiths; Amal Treacher Kabesh, School of Sociology, University of Nottingham; Joanne Kalogeras, Assistant in Sociology, London School of Economics and Visiting Lecturer at University of Westminster; Barbara Kelly, Professor of Musicology, Keele University; Richard Gerridge, Research Co-ordinator at School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, Bath Spa University; Dr. Pamela Knights, Senior Lecturer, Department of English Studies, Durham University; Dr Cath Lambert, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Warwick, Coventry; Jonathan Leape, Senior Lecturer in Economics, London School of Economics; Dr T J Lustig, Programme Director, American Studies, Keele University; Anna Mackenzie, Visiting Lecturer, English Department, University of Chester; Paul Maharg, Professor of Legal Education, University of Northumberland; Dr Pauline Marne, Lecturer in Criminology, Liverpool John Moores University; Dr Steve May, Head of Creative Writing, Bath Spa University; Professor Scott McCracken, Head of English, Keele University; Terry McDonough, Lecturer in English Language, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, University Centre at Blackburn College; Dale McFadzean, Academic Director, Law Wise, Law Clinic, University of the West of Scotland; Chris McGuire, Chair, The Association of Law Teachers, BPP, University College London; Dr Monica McLean, Reader in Higher Education, Nottingham; Dr Michael McMahon, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Warwick, Coventry; Dr. Andrew Mearman, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UWE, Bristol; Prof Robert Mears, Head of School of Science, Society & Management, Bath Spa University; Janine Melvin, Work Related Learning Co-ordinator, Liverpool JM University; Dr Rosie Miles, Senior Lecturer in English, School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, University of Wolverhampton; Professor Pamela Moores, Chair of the University Council of Modern Languages; Dr Joe Moran, School of MCCA, John Moores University, Liverpool; Dr Becky Munford, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Cardiff University; Professor Robin Naylor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry; Dr Catherine Neale, Principal Lecturer in English Studies, University of Worcester; David Nicholls, Professor of Music, University of Southampton; Dr Sarah O'Brien, Programme Leader for PLARM, Teesside University; Dr Marianne O'doherty, Lecturer in English, University of Southampton; William Outhwaite, Professor of Sociology, Newcastle University; Tim Parke, the University of Hertfordshire; Dr Fiona Peters, Senior Lecturer English and Cultural Studies, Bath Spa University; Anita Pilgrim, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Social Sciences, University of Glamorgan; Professor Mike Pincombe, School of English, Newcastle University; Dr Jane Poyner, Department of English, University of Exeter; Jocey Quinn, Professor of Education, University of Plymouth; Dr Jenni Ramone, Senior Lecturer in English, Newman University College; Dr Dwijen Rangnekan, Associate Professor of Law, School of Law, University of Warwick, Coventry; Helen Riley, Economics and Law Librarian, Warwick University, Coventry; Professor David Roberts, Head of the School of English, Birmingham City University; Dr Helen Rogers, Department of English, John Moores University, Liverpool; Dr Patricia Romero de Mills, Teaching Fellow, Modern Languages, University of Southampton; Nick Sage, Head of Division of Sociology, University of Northampton; Dr Candice Satchwell, Lecturer in English, Blackpool and Fylde College; Dr Christina Scharff, Lecturer in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, Kings College, London; Dr Sylvia Shaw, Senior Lecturer in English Language, Middlesex University; Avron Sherr, Director, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies; Dr Valerie Shrimplin, Head of Education, Bar Standards Board; Dr Monika Smialkowski, Senior Lecturer in English, Northumbria University; Richard Sober, Art, Design and Media Subject Centre, Teesside University; Dr Scott Soo, Lecturer in French Studies, University of Southampton; Dr Miroslav Spasov, Head of Music Technology, Keele University; Dr Maureen Spencer, Principal Lecturer, Middlesex University; Professor John Storan, Director, Continuum, Centre for Widening Participation College, University of East London; Dr Paul Sutton, Senior lecturer in sociology, University College Plymouth: St Mark & St John; Dr Jennifer Terry, Lecturer in English Studies, University of Durham; Professor Michael Thomson, Head of the School of Law, Keele University; Dr S E Timmis, Senior Lecturer in Techonology Enhanced Learning, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol; Dr Alannah Tomkins, History, Keele University; Dr Sheila Trahar, Senior Lecturer, Graduate School of Education, Bristol; Dr Lynnette Turner, Associate Dean, Quality and Student Experience, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Edge Hill University; Trish Walker, Former Manager, Centre for Bioscience subject centre 2000-2005; Dr Mark Whallan, Senior Lecturer in American Literature and Culture, Department of English, University of Exeter; Susan White, Professor of Social Work, University of Birmingham; Dr Paul Williams, Lecturer in 20th Century Literature, Department of English, University of Exeter; Professor Charlotte Williams, Head of the School of Public Policy and Professional Practice; Dr.Frank Wilson, School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, University of Wolverhampton; Gaynor Wood, Lecturer in Employability and Enterprise Features, University of Central Lancashire; Jocelyn Wyburd, Honorary Secretary, UCML, University Language Centre, University of Manchester; Dr Cris Yelland, University Teaching Fellow, Teesside University; Dr Margaret Yoon, Associate Teaching Fellow, Department of English, University of Exeter; William Twining, Quain Professor of Jurisprudence Emeritus, UCL; Deborah Orpin, English, Wolverhampton University; Professor Elisabeth Lillie, University of Ulster; Professor Louise Loxton, Acting HoS, University of Plymouth; Dr Orla Kelly, Science Education, University of Plymouth; Dr Liz McKenzie, Education, University of Plymouth; Dr Emma Macleod-Johnstone, University of Plymouth; Dr Paul Latreille, Director of the Swansea Academy of Teaching and Learning; Dr Marina Orsini Jones, Associate Head, English and Languages, Coventry University; Joan Swann, Director of the Centre for Language and Communication, Open University; Dr Kirsti Bohata, Swansea University; Debra Hinds, Curriculum Coordinator for Law, Croydon; Alex Lockwood, Journalism, Sunderland University; Danny Saunders OBE, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Glamorgan; Dr Rachel Farebrother, American Studies, Swansea University; Mark Tarrant, ICT technician, Primary Education, Plymouth; John Burnett, Education, Univerity of Plymouth; Suzanne Speidel, Film Studies, Sheffield Hallam University; Kirsten Macleaod, English, Newcastle University; Dr Guglielmo Volpe, National Teaching Fellow, Queen Mary UL; James Minney, Southampton University; Shabar Jeffrey, Portsmouth University; Joe Cox, Portsmouth University.