African history students awarded compensation after master’s axed

Students enrolled on a groundbreaking African history master’s have been awarded compensation after their lecturer was made redundant part way through their studies.

The University of Chichester suspended recruitment onto the programme in the history of Africa and the African diaspora in July 2023, arguing that it was no longer economically viable. At the same time, it made Hakim Adi, the first African-British historian to become a professor of history in the UK, who started the course in 2017, redundant.

A complaint about what happened was taken to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education which has now decided it was “partly justified”, and that the university’s claim that it did not guarantee that a specific member of staff would teach students “was unreasonable”. The adjudicator has ordered the university to pay the group an undisclosed sum.

It ruled that 12 of the students had a legitimate expectation to be taught by Adi, adding that the university had advertised the course on the basis that the students would “learn directly” from him, and he had been described by the university as the “only professor of the history of Africa and the African diaspora in Britain”.

A final student, however, was deemed to be on intermission, and were therefore excluded from the remedy. Leigh Day, the law firm representing students, said that it “disagreed” with this, and is considering a judicial review, which it has advised the OIA of.

An OIA report on the incident says: “The course webpage placed particular emphasis on students being able to learn directly from [Adi]. It also emphasised his unique role as the only professor of the history of Africa and the African diaspora in the UK and their expertise in this research area. In this context, we think that the complaint panel’s decision that the university didn’t guarantee students would be taught by a specific staff member isn’t reasonable in all the circumstances.”

The OIA declined to address all the grounds of the complaint, arguing that a judicial review brought by the Black Equity Organisation in 2024 had addressed them instead.

Jacqueline McKenzie, human rights partner at Leigh Day, said that the ruling was “a significant victory” for the students who were “left in academic limbo after their course was unjustly terminated”.

“The decision acknowledges the fundamental principle that students should receive the education they were promised, taught by the experts they signed up to learn from.

“While this ruling is an important step forward, we remain deeply concerned about the circumstances that led to the closure of this groundbreaking course and the impact on those affected. We will continue to pursue justice for our clients as we await the next steps in both the OIA process and their legal claim.”

A stay has been imposed on the students’ seperate legal battle against the university, but a crowdsourcing campaign to fund the students’ legal battle has so far raised over £7,500.

A University of Chichester spokesperson said: “Like all universities, the University of Chichester periodically reviews its course portfolio in response to enrolment trends and financial pressures.

“The MRes in The History of Africa and The African Diaspora regrettably closed to new applicants in 2023, but we are making every effort to work with continuing students so that they can complete their studies.

“We refute any suggestion of discrimination and note that the OIA claim was only partially upheld on the basis of procedural issues.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com