Senior management at the University of Roehampton have announced staff cuts of £3.2 million targeting the Schools of Arts and Humanities. These cuts will irrevocably damage these high-performing departments, with nearly a third of staff being asked to take voluntary severance. We, the undersigned, write to oppose these cuts and ask senior management to meet with us together with UCU to consider other options.

The Arts and Humanities provide a sense of community, inspiration, and hope: more necessary than ever in the current circumstances. The importance of Arts and Humanities is undeniable: an education in Arts and Humanities enables students to think critically, communicate clearly, and improve textual and digital literacy. Eight out of ten of the fastest-growing sectors employ more Arts students than any other group.

The Schools of Arts and Humanities at Roehampton are the highest performing departments across the university in all areas of student experience and satisfaction. These degrees attract students from under-privileged backgrounds and employment rates after graduating are high. These departments are the most research-intensive in the University.

Despite the University’s claim that it is “committed to providing outstanding education and support”, these cuts would cause irreversible harm to these Schools and their students. Given the importance of the Arts and Humanities in general, and the success of Roehampton’s Arts and Humanities Schools in particular, we do not see how Senior Management justify their decision to target cuts in these areas, and ask them to reconsider.

We ask that the Vice Chancellor and Senior Management schedule and attend a meeting before the 13th November (with at least 72 hours’ notice) with Roehampton staff, students, and UCU to answer the following questions:
- How does the university expect to retain its world-class status and to improve student and staff recruitment when cutting teaching resources, which will undoubtedly impact both the long-term and short-term module capacity and research ability of Arts and Humanities?
- UK Universities are already struggling to provide students with the education and experience they have paid for due to the Covid-19 pandemic. How will these cuts affect the student experience? How will the University provide the education it has promised with reduced staff?
- These cuts mean that fewer specialists are required to do more work. How will this affect the student-staff ratio and by extension the quality of education and experience received? How can they guarantee postgraduate students will be able to complete their degrees when they require niche and specialised guidance in their research?
- What is the University doing to recruit staff and students from diverse and under-represented communities? How do the cuts affect this?
- Will the University commit to considering UCU’s suggestion for more sustainable cost-saving measures, such as reviewing the salaries of Senior Management and sale of university assets?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Anouska Lester (3rd Year PhD Candidate, English and Creative Writing)
Clare Daly (2nd Year PhD Candidate, Drama, Theatre & Performance)
Sara Ruddock (2nd Year PhD Candidate, Dance)
Phoebe Lambdon (1st year PhD Candidate, English and Creative Writing)
Mollie Clarke (4th Year English Literature PhD)
Paul Hughes (PhD Candidate, Dance)
Odhran O’Donoghue (2nd year PhD Candidate, English and Creative Writing)
Rebecca Tadman (DTP/PhD/Year 2)
Bahareh Fattahi (Dance. MFA 2013-2015)
Bettina Knaup (PhD Candidate Drama Theatre and Performance)
Hamish MacPherson (Dance/ MRes Choreography and Performance 2014)
Lorenza Peragine (Dance, PhD, 2nd year)
Alastair Sherwood (English and Creative Writing PhD Candidate, 2nd Year)
Holly Harris (Drama, Theatre and Performance, 3rd Year)
Storm Greenwood (Second year PhD candidate, Drama)
Feride Kumbasar (MCL/PhD/Year 3)
Vittoria Butti (Drama, Theatre & Performance Alumnus)
Joanna Sands (Social Sciences year 3)
Sophie Harris (Creative Writing (graduate of 2020))
Shyvonne Thompson (Life Sciences/PhD Candidate/Year 2)
Harriet Kassner (Humanities, Classical Civilisation, Second Year)
Leané Meiring (PhD Dramatherapy)
Ella Finer (Theatre and Performance, PhD, 2012)
Charlotte Hogg (Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies (2014-2017))
Sara Markovic (English Literature (2019 graduate))
Sophie Hall (Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, 2nd Year)
Helena Botto (Drama, Theatre & Performance ( 2nd Year PhD candidate))
Sadie Hamilton (History BA First Year)
Ruth Bertram (ECW/English Literature/2019)
Orla O’Flynn (Ancient History Year 2)
Linda Lapini (2nd year PhD student, Meda Culture and Language)
Aimee Hinds (History PhD 1st year)
Harriet Salisbury (4th Year Creative Writing PhD)
Oda Roertveit Alsos (Drama, Theatre & Performance studies, 2nd year)
Dina Abdla (English Literature Ba 2019)
Greta Rilletti-Zaltieri (Drama, Theatre & Performance Graduate)
Oliver Lewis (English Literature / PhD / 1st year )
Bethan Davies (English (PhD) Year 1 (2020))
Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt (Dance Department, PhD 4th year)
Gillie Kleiman (MA Performance and Creative Research in DTP (2011), PhD Dance Studies (2019))
Josh Branson (MCL/PhD/3rd Year)
Charlotte Discombe (London's Theatre MA, 2019-2020)
Morgan Fountain (Drama, Theatre and Performance, BA, 3rd year)
Mary Anna Ball (MA Dance Philosophy & History)
Siyuan Gong (First Year Ph.D Candidate, Dance)
Kay Waddilove (ECW department PhD alumna 2019)
Julie Mills (Library 1990-2016)
Anne Malewski (Children's Literature, PhD 2019)
Alex Milledge (Drama, Theatre and Performance BA 2014 - 2017)
Catherine Njeru (Ministerial Theology 2nd Year)
Alexandra Pieri (English Literature 2019)
Victoria Holt (Social Sciences, PhD 1st year)
Rachel Murdoch (London’s Theatre MA (2020))
Georg Doecker (3rd year PhD candidate, Drama, Theatre and Performance)
Liesa Refflinghaus (Drama, Theatre & Performance BA, 3rd Year)
Georgina Hall (3rd year Classical Civilisation BA)
Elif Grant (6th year PhD in Cultural Studies)
Hillary Ann Nevyjel (ECW department (BA & MA) 2015-2020)
Chloe Daly (Drama, Theatre, and Performance with Creative Writing BA, 3rd Year)
Ryan Bickerton (3rd year Film BA)
Clare Walters (ECW, MA Children’s Literature, 2011)
Elizabeth Fort (Dance Dept, MA alumnus 2016 and current PhD 2nd yr)
Giulia Casalini (Drama, Theatre and Performance, PhD Y2)
Jenny Swingler (PhD, Drama, Theatre and Performance)
Remy Theobald (Media, Culture and Language, Film BA, 3rd year)
Kaia Koehler (3rd Year BA Therapeutic Psychology (2018-2021))
Mark Poischbeg (1st Year MFA Dance & Embodied Practice)
Eleanor Rai-Johnson (History-3rd Year)
Deborah Albon (Humanities 1st year MA Tudor Studies)
Tara Fatehi Irani (Drama, Theatre and Performance / PhD / 2020)
Mark Carter )ECW, current PhD 1st Year and ECW, MA Childrens Literature 2019)
Mariella Greil (Drama, Theatre and Performance/ PhD/ 2018)
Zoe Moores (MCL, Final Year PhD)
Laoise Holohan Classical Civilisations, 3rd Year
Maria Thacker (Dance studies w art for community BA 2000)
Isabella Hudman  (3rd Classical Civilisation)
Harriet O’Toole (Humanities, 3rd year Classical Civilisations BA)
Chuchu Nwagu (Students’ Union President and member of University Council (2018/2019))
Anita Bozzo (Drama Theatre and Performance studies, 3rd year)
Krystsina Sachkouskaya (MA, Drama, Theatre and Performance)
Jessica Sbresni (BA Drama, Theatre and Performance and Creative Writing (3rd Year))
Jasmine Metcalf (BA, Drama, Theatre and Performance, 3rd year)
Caoimhe OShaughnessy (Business School, Business Management Bsc, Year 3)
Horvat Mihaela (BA drama,theatre and performance studies graduate 2020)
Edie Rae Fitzgerald (Drama and theatre/undergraduate/3rd year)
Sarah Lapinsky (Dance, MFA Choreography, 1st Year)
William Brown (Classical Civilisations, 3rd year)
Phoebe Thomas (Drama, Theatre and Performance 3rd year BA)
Victoria Clarke (ECW/MCL BA, 2014)
Matthew Mordue (Classics PhD)
Kate Dangerfield (MCL PhD)
Alice Garrett-Kavanagh (Humanities, Classical Civilisation, 2018)
Laura Setford (English Literature BA 1st Year)
Beth Ackroyd (BA (Hons) Dance Studies 2019)
Emily Corbett (NCRCL, ECW (PhD writing up year))
Ellen Hopkinson (BA Classical Civilisation (2019) and MRes Classics and Ancient History (2020))
Megha Leal (Digital Media 2023)
Alexandra Hewitson (Creative Writing)
Charlotte Moseley (BA Classical Civilisation, Year 3)
Constantine Christoforou (Classics PhD)
Leah Buckel (MRes Classics and Ancient History)
Janine Healy (MSc Computing 2021)
Jesse River Dylan Merry (Humanities, 2nd year Creative Writing & English Literature)
Mars Nicoli (BA Film Production alumni (class of 2019) and MA Film Production student currently)
Jessica Corp (Media Communications and Culture MA)
André Liljedahl Sætre (Film, BA (2019))
Laurie Patterson (Arts/Film Practices/MA year 1)
Jenny Mo (Film Practices, MA, 2021)
Bashayer alharbi (MA film practices)
Shahrukh Rana (Film Masters)
Orion Hall-Turner (MCL - journalism, 3rd year)
Ella Muir (History PhD candidate, 2nd year)
Danny Newman (Computer Science)
Rosie Burgoyne (MA Publishing 2020)
Samantha Martin (BA History 2007-2010)
Alice Helps (Drama, Theatre and Performance PhD, yr4)
Karina Qian Lin Ou Lian (MA Specialised Translation 2021)
Katie Appleford (Creative Writing 2020 Graduate)
Gabriella Ferlita (Media, Culture and Language/ Journalism and English Language and Linguistics/ Third)
Louis Akihito Cummings (Drama/Creative Writing 3rd Year)
Catherine Dulin (Dance Department/MA Dance Anthropology 2013, PhD Dance 2019)
Tan Qiao Lin (BA Dance Year 1)
Yagmur Hazal Oguz (MFA Dance and Embodied Practice - 1st Year)
Kalina Petrova (Department of Dance/MFA Dance and Embodied Practice/Year 1)
Bethan Peters (Dance studies undergrad 2007 & MFA choreography 2015)
Jingyue Zhang (MCL, Final Year PhD)
Hannah Lockyer (BA Hons Dance studies 2007)
Sarah Fadel (Dance, MFA Choreography, 2017)
Pauline Hasse (Dance dept, MA Community Dance, 2015)
Tomer Dahan (Dance department MRes choreography and performance)
Ruth Llewellyn (1st Year PhD, Media, Culture and Language)
Yoana Stoeva (Dance Studies graduate/ Dance and Embodied Practice 2nd year)
Kim Kohlmann (MRes Choreography and Performance)
Jonathan Lui (Dance, MFA Dance and Embodied Practice, 2nd Year)
Danielle Braggins (BA (Hons) Dance Studies - 2019)
Azize Sousami (BA HONS Dance Studies Graduate)
Christopher Roman (PhD by Publshed Works)
Pip Thackwray (BA Dance Studies 2019)
Sinead Moriarty (ECW PhD Alumna)
Paige Hill (Classics (classical civilisations BA 2019)
Sarah Pyke (ECW, PhD)
Cherie Ayres (Classics/Classical Research MRes/2016)
Elijah Hammond-Dallas  (Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies 2nd year)
Sarah Blissett (PhD Drama, Theatre and Performance 2020)
Nina Taylor (Drama, Theatre and Performance Graduate)
Stephane Azarian (MCL/PHD)
Hannah Oldham (MA Children's Literature Distance Learning 2nd Yr)
Jessica Bulaitis (nee Green) (BA Hons Dance Studies 2007)
Magdalen Gorringe (Dance Department, PhD candidate)
Nick Campbell  (ECW PhD Alumna)
Athena Sunderland (Creative Writing (2nd Year)
Greta Jonas  (BA Creative Writing 2nd year)
Liana Quadros (English and Creative Writing, Year 2)
Katie Kent (BA Drama alumni)
Kathryn Stamp (Dance, BA (Hons) Dance Studies, 2010)
Raymundo Ruiz González (Dance/MA Choreomundus / 2019)
Emily Nagle (Humanities / creative writing/2)
Alex Bertram (ECW/ PhD in creative writing/ awarded October 2020)
Lizzie Wakelin (3rd year BA Dance)
Theresa O’Connor (AHRC Theatre Fellow 2009-14)
Emily Nagle  (Humanities / creative writing/2)
Edward Fanghanel (BA English Literature Second Year)
Indigo King (Humanities/English Literature/ 2nd Year)
Holly Perchard (English Literature Year 2)
Wednesday Hailston (Humanities / English Literature / Year 2)
Jordan Christofis (Humanities/English Literature/2nd year (started 2019))
Gaia Selva (Humanities/MA Audiovisual Translation/1st Year)
María Peredo (Dance Studies/MA/2017)
Becca Weber (PhD, Dance)
Megan Garrett-Jones (MA Performance and Creative Research)
Ellie Gray (Department of Dance / BA / 2nd Year)
Melania-Irina Lawston (Children’s Literature MA Year 2)
Frances Isherwood ( Creative Writing/MA/2020)
Mihael Djurdjevic (Drama 2nd year)
Daniella Fearon (MA Creative Writing Year 2)
Suzanne Fossey (Children's Literature MA, 2020)
Kelly Hopson (MA Creative Writing/2020)
Jean Menzies ( PhD, Classics/Humanities)
Leena Bheekhun (Creative Writing Graduate 2020)
Frederik Helgesen (Creative Writing / MA)
Kelly Green (MA Performance and Creative Research 2012/13)
Jayne Kaaria  (Humanities/BTH /Year 3)
Maria Ndjoku Obama  (Dance department (alumni) )
Katrina Mansfield (BA Dance Studies 2020 and MA Dance Anthropology 2021)
Roberta Todaro (Film and Photography, year 3)
Jack Ballinger (Film, 3rd year)
Lucien Ohanian (Film, 3rd year)
Lynne Penberthy (BA (Hons) English 1992)
Jordan Neill (Film/Drama Year 3)
Lottie Woolley (Forensic psychology 2021)
Barbara Servidori (Children's Literature MA, 2020)
Imogen Easton (MA Children's Literature 2020)
Jane Connelly (Art and Dance BA Honours 1989)
Elinor Brinsley (MA Creative Writing, 2020)
Irene Wise (MA Creative Writing (Year 1))
Seán Kavanagh (MA Children’s Literature 2020)
Mary Kate Connolly (PhD Candidate Dance Department)
Andrea Torres Viedma (Dance/PHD/Year 3)
Elise Copas (Media & Language, BA Film 3rd Year )
Annabel Black (Drama/Creative Writing, 3rd year)
Jessica-lily Jayne lord (Drama and Film/ BA/2nd year)
Lauren Higginson (BA Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies Year 3)
Helen Scott  (MA Children's Literature, 2020)
Mervi Kupila (Dance/MA in Dance Politics and Sociology/2020 Alumni)
Stevie-Leigh Scroxton (Humanities/English Literature 2nd Year.)
Hannah Levene (Creative Writing, PhD, 3rd year )
Louie Hawkins (MCL , Film , 3rd year)
Marija Milenkovska Jordanov (MA TESOL)
Melania-Irina Lawston (Children’s Literature MA Year 2)
Tim Kidd (MA Children’s Literature 2020)
Brenda Daniels (Children's Literature MA LD Year 2)
Greta Jonas (BA Creative Writing 2nd year)
Art Gosling (English Literature BA graduate)
Chai-Ju Shen (PhD Candidate Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies)
Emma Howard (PHD Year 1 Classics)
Chris Stocking (PhD candidate Philosophy and Education, 1st Year)
Magdalena Gryniewicz (BA Classical Civilisation 2019)
Stephanie Riley (MA Children's Literature 2019)
Violeta Guerrero Gomez (MA Children’s Literature 2017)
Katie Curtis (BA Classical Civilisation 2019)
Toshie Uenohara (Children’s Literature)
Damian J Hursey (DTh First year)
Charlotte Taylor (MA Children’s Literature (2020))
Nicollette Amico (Dance and Embodied Practice 2022)
Katherine Oliver (MA Children's Literature 2020)
Susie Crow (PhD Department of Dance 2020)
Anthony Bartlett-Fletcher (History)
Emily Mercer (ECW, PhD current)
Eleanor Jones (BA Classical Civilisation 2019)
Daniel Fahey (BA Creative Writing and Journalism, 2007)
Adriana Wegrzynowska (Business School/Business Management and Finance/Second Year)
Andrew Lewis (Creative Writing 2019)
Fiona Henderson (MA Classics)
Kariima Ali (Humanities/PhD/Year 1)
Lucinda Hawksley (English & Education BA)
Kamila Biedrzycka (BA Dance 1st year)
Julia Jakowska (Dance/BA/Year 1)
Alejandro Palomares Ortiz (PhD Media, Culture and Language y1)
Nicola Oakes-Monger (English department Masters in Children’s Literature)
Haniyah Margaye (BA English Literature/Year 2)
Elizabeth Chan (Dance/MA in Dance Studies/Alumnus)
Mustafa Harabou (Humanities / Philosophy Religion & Ethics / 2nd year)
Matilda Clayton (MA, Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, 1st year)
Ayesha Sbahat Ahmed (English Literature, BA, Year 2)
Oli Ottaway (Psychology)
Irene Artegiani (MCL, 4th Year PhD)
Mustafa Harabou (Humanities / Philosophy Religion & Ethics / 2nd year)
Sabiha Naz Aziz (MCL/Digital media/2020)
Hayley Ovens (Dance/BA/2011)
Yiwen Li (BA Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies)