The Cardiff University Executive Board has approved plans to create a School of Modern Languages, and to merge Politics with the Law School. If the plans gain the approval of the Senate it is hoped that the restructuring will be complete by the 1st September 2014.
Currently Politics is part of the European School of Languages, many non-European Languages are not part of the school, and Cardiff Law School is an institution in its own right. However, there are currently no short-term plans to give their departments their own buildings, with VP Education Ollie Wannell saying until this happens ÔÇ£students are going to see very little change.ÔÇØ
The University Executive Board hope that the proposals will enhance student experience, and strengthen teaching, research and engagement activity.
Ollie Wannell says that ÔÇ£the merger makes sense ÔÇô it is odd to have Politics and Languages lumped together ÔÇô and [it] follows a trend of many other universities where Law and Politics are together.ÔÇØ
Some Law students are concerned that the merger will diminish the reputation of Cardiff Law School, which has global recognition. For example, Mcfarlanes, a reputable law firm in London, employs many Cardiff Law graduates, and one of the partners of the firm is also a graduate from the school.
However, a motion submitted to the University Senate says that the ÔÇ£Cardiff Law School brand will remain intact, whilst Politics will be promoted as a department within its own right.ÔÇØ Additionally, Politics and Law will retain separate heads of school. These combined factors led Ollie Wannell to call the proposed plans ÔÇ£preparatoryÔÇØ, and that they lay the groundwork for the two schools to eventually share a building and head of school.
The motion says that plans for the School of Modern Languages school will help to create a hub for Erasmus and international students to interact with others at the university. It also says that the plans will create a vibrant languages community, and begin to teach languages of countries with which the university has links, such as China and Portugal.
The new School will also merge with the Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning, which teaches part-time language programmes.
Ashley Bebbington
News Editor
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