At its meeting on 12 June 2024, the University Council decided to move forward with:

• The creation of a new faculty, combining the following: 
  • Faculty of Arts
  • Faculty of Education and Social Work
  • Elam School of Fine Arts
  • School of Music
  • Dance Programme
• The alignment of the School of Architecture and Planning and the Design Programme with the Faculty of Engineering.

This decision follows the review of extensive feedback from staff and students.

The decision to propose this change followed the University’s prudent financial management during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. This ensured a stable financial position for the University and has enabled University leaders to consider how best to shape the institution for the future.

The change is driven by the University’s strategic goals and offers the opportunity to strengthen resilience in our areas of excellence, enable increased collaboration across and within faculties, and enhance the scale and concentration needed for future success. It will enable greater experiential learning opportunities and provide access to a wider variety of courses and subjects for our students, across a wide range of disciplines.

It is designed to enhance inter- and trans-disciplinary research and provide broader experiences and career development opportunities for professional and technical staff.

•  Increased strategic capacity: It offers scope for greater strategic capacity, which will enable us to stay ahead of, and create appropriate responses for, a constantly evolving tertiary environment.
• Enhanced collaboration: Related areas in the current faculties will more easily work together to enhance disciplines and allow for exciting new collaborations.
• Efficiencies: Bringing these disciplines together in a new faculty will allow for more cohesive alignment, enabling the pooling of resources and enhancing the scale needed for future success.
• Enhanced resources: A larger faculty can potentially provide more resources for workshops and labs, including equipment upgrades, training opportunities, and expanded facilities.
• Teaching and learning practices enhancements: The changes will enable greater experiential learning opportunities. With greater access to innovative pedagogies such as studio teaching, technical workshops, and digital technologies in a larger faculty, the proposal will enhance the quality, relevance, and accessibility of education across disciplines. The changes will also reduce administrative complexity, making it easier to teach across different disciplines. This means more flexibility with resources, leading to a better learning experience for students.
• Improved access: Students will have access to a wider variety of courses and subjects, providing integrated access to study facilities and subject specialists.
• Enhanced research potential: Increased inter- and trans-disciplinary research potential across a range of disciplines.
• Professional and technical staff development: Opportunities for broader experiences and career development across a larger and more diverse group of disciplines and activities.