Dear Professor Jane Norman,

Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding Proposed Reductions in Sociology and Social Policy Provision

We write from the British Sociological Association (BSA) to express our unequivocal support for sociologists, social policy scholars, and colleagues in related disciplines at the University of Nottingham who are facing threats to their jobs and academic programmes.

We understand that the University of Nottingham has issued ‘at risk of redundancy’ notices to 2,700 staff, as part of a plan to cut more than 600 academic and support posts across the institution. These cuts form part of a wider restructuring in response to financial pressures, including an £85m deficit linked to the Castle Meadow campus project and previous rounds of redundancies.

We are deeply concerned that the majority of staff in the School of Sociology and Social Policy have received threat of redundancy notices, placing core areas of sociological teaching and research, as well as Social Policy, a field essential to evidence based public debate, welfare analysis, and social justice scholarship, at severe risk.

We are further alarmed by the University’s proposal to close the full undergraduate degree programme in Theology and Religious Studies, a discipline that, while organisationally separate, remains intellectually intertwined with Sociology and is highly relevant to many Sociologists and BSA members, especially those of our very active Sociology of Religion study group. This follows wider proposals to close or suspend programmes in other humanities and social science areas, as part of a strategy targeting subjects with lower staff student ratios.

These developments pose a profound threat not only to individual livelihoods but to the intellectual and civic mission of the University. They also run counter to clear evidence about the strength, sustainability, and public value of Sociology and Social Policy in the UK. We also recognise that many sociologists both within and outside the Faculty of Sociology and Social Policy, such as those in the Business school and Medicine and Health Sciences, may be affected by the University’s restructuring proposals, given the breadth of the cuts and the cross-disciplinary nature of sociological work.

Sociology continues to attract exceptionally high numbers of students. In 2024, it was the seventh most popular A level in the UK, with 44,359 entries through AQA alone. Sociology sits alongside psychology, biology, chemistry, history, business studies, and maths as one of the major feeder subjects into higher education. Its scale demonstrates a substantial and reliable recruitment pool for universities, including Nottingham.

The vibrancy of Sociology as a discipline is evident in the research culture as well. We must mention the very recent, successful BSA Sociology of Religion conference, held at the University of Nottingham due to the vibrancy of its scholarship.  The conference attracted 107 attendees and presenters, including delegates from 13 countries, contributing to the international reputation of the University and its scholarship.  The BSA’s internationally recognized journal Work, Employment and Society (Impact Factor 3.9) is hosted within the Nottingham Business School through its Editors in Chief because of the inclusion of social context in the scholarship on work and management within the school.

Across the HE sector, Sociology is recognised as a comparatively low cost subject to deliver. It does not require laboratories, specialist equipment, or technical infrastructure. For many universities, social science provision provides stable revenue that cross subsidises more resource intensive programmes. Reducing Sociology and Social Policy capacity therefore risks undermining, rather than strengthening, the University’s financial sustainability.

Sociology and Social Policy are foundational disciplines for understanding inequality, social change, public welfare, and community life. Reducing capacity in these areas threatens the University’s ability to offer a broad, critical, and socially relevant curriculum. It also risks diminishing Nottingham’s appeal to prospective students who increasingly seek degrees that speak directly to contemporary social challenges. Sociology degrees continue to attract students seeking pathways into public services, policy, NGOs, education, and community-based professions. All areas that remain central to the civic mission of universities such as Nottingham. Cutting provision in these areas risks weakening the University’s societal contribution.

The BSA is deeply concerned that the proposed cuts will dismantle long standing areas of excellence, erode research capacity, and damage the University’s national and international reputation.

We stand in solidarity with colleagues at Nottingham and acknowledge that the University and College Union (UCU) has raised serious concerns about the scale and rationale of the proposed redundancies. We urge the University leadership to halt compulsory redundancy processes, engage meaningfully with staff and unions, and explore alternative financial strategies that do not compromise academic excellence or the wellbeing of staff and students.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Les Back, BSA President
Dr Jen Remnant, BSA Chair

Letter sent via email to:
Professor Jane Norman, Vice Chancellor, University of Nottingham
cc. Professor Jeremy Gregory, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Faculty of Social Sciences
Kelly Allen, Senior Executive Assistant
Angela Cliff, Executive Assistant