Would you transfer to a different university in my situation? Mature student.

[Wud]

Mature student (early 30s) studying the one thing I have always been truly passionate about as well as being naturally talented at. I have always hoped to go on to do a MA followed by PhD in this field. I get consistent first class grades. I’m about to go into my third year and a series of job cuts has put me in a real predicament.

Essentially, the department was already cut drastically last summer leaving just four lecturers, now the university is proposing another one leaves and it’s between my dissertation supervisor and another professor or they split the role next year 50/50. Even if they choose the latter, both will understandably be seeking a new position and will undoubtedly jump ship if they find one.

My supervisor is the only one who can feasibly and adequately supervise me given how niche my topic is (I’m the first in the uni to research this field and to be honest, the first in the world to take this particular angle). Now I’m panicking that if he goes, I won’t receive the correct supervision and as much of an independent learner as I am, I really want some decent guidance to do everything possible to get the first I’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Not only that but I had a meeting with a separate lecturer a couple of days ago and he said they have to run the modules they announced now, irrespective of who stays or goes. One of the modules is my supervisor’s and his area is also incredibly niche in a different way to mine. None of the other lecturers could properly teach it so now worried we’ll be taught by someone who knows a bit here or there but certainly not an expert. It isn’t my area at all, I’m not confident in it so unsure how well I’ll do without the expert to ask for advice.

Would you transfer for third year in my situation or stick it out and hope for the best? I’m trying to fight the job cuts as much as I can through the media / student protest but I’m not sure how effective we will be and I need to think of my own future goals and ambitions.

Is there an obvious place to transfer that isn't experiencing the same issues as your university? Are you hoping for funding for your MA/PHD?

No, I wouldn’t. You’re only an undergraduate student. The most important thing is that you get the degree and the right grade, and you’re doing that at your current university. You may not settle as successfully at a new university, or you might be forced to catch up on first/ second year modules which distract from your dissertation.

In addition, there’s no reason to think what’s happening at your current uni isn’t happening/ imminent at another. You might jump ship only to suffer once more.

Yeah there is one obvious place, it’s further away so would make my life more difficult in terms of commuting but I’m willing if it’s going to be what I need to 100% ensure I get a first.

I’m doing taught MA with student loan at a different uni next year then hoping to get a funded PhD position thereafter. Have been told to aim for a PhD abroad.

I’m doing that at the current university but that’s with the department as it stands now. My main concern is it won’t be the case if the department is halved and I lose my supervisor.

Get your point about trying to settle into a new campus and such for the sake of one year, that is the main thing deterring me from switching. The other uni still appears to have a fully functioning department though, they have 3x as many lecturers.

There are restructures, redundancies etc across the sector. Our uni has told us to expect more Unis across autumn to announce the same as the impact on internal student numbers is realised. I would be very careful of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

i would stay where you are. It is a red flag on a Cv if someone has moved during a course…even if it wasn’t your fault, it will always put doubts in people’s mind that you are flakey/confrontational/trouble etc. (this is just from observing others in this situation and personal experience).

But wouldn't she just get her degree from the new place? An employer wouldn't need to know and the next university would completely understand.

If you want to go on to further study with this supervisor, you can follow them wherever they are, but just get your undergrad done where you are. Your undergrad dissertation is unlikely to be so complex someone else could not supervise and mark it. Taking a unique angle or it being niche does not mean that it's difficult to mark as a piece of work - I mean, how do you think publications get peer reviewed prior to being submitted? Just because someone does not agree/have the same perspective as you on a topic, it doesn't mean they cannot understand or contribute to it's academic merit. You really don't need a specialist for undergrad, it's more important you have someone who can actually be bothered to supervise it properly and shows a bit of interest.

Be careful. Courses are collapsing in lots of universities and they happily lie to students about it. Some they aren't giving staff much warning either.

Myself and a friend, both transferred from two different universities after having the same experience. Our courses closed under us, with no legal recourse as 'remaining students to be supervised by part time associate professors from a different dept.'
Having seen what happens to remaining students from closed or decimated courses (not a good situation) we both jumped respective ships.

Our current university had a large department with some heavyweight academics, and infrastructure, and welcomed us with open arms, assuring us they were rock solid. We now know why they were so keen to take us in. As we were arriving they were reducing staff numbers and cutting MA's on other courses.

A couple of months back MA's for our subject were suddenly shut down, leaving successful applicants struggling for alternative places.

One issue we have picked up, is part time students are not included in enrollment numbers, so courses naturally attracting lots of mature part time students, are seen as having low student numbers. They aren't prepared to count 22 P/T as equivalence to 11 F/T so a class of 31 is treated as having 9 students and axed.
Having just lost our prospective MA's and the staff restructured into BA, we just had the bombshell that all the staff have to reapply for only four jobs, and that will be the new department structure in September.
Current students trying to abandon ship are finding worrying signs of hasty restructures and closures in other universities.

Funded PHD's were already becoming rare as hens teeth, and advice is to forget it unless you're able to apply abroad.
The whole sector is in trouble and being run as bean counting property investment businesses by people with no interest in education.

With what's happening in the sector, it will become so common that old assumptions will swiftly be overwritten by new ones.

I've just read my post back and just want to clarify when I said 'only an undergraduate' I'm not denigrating that! Just making the point that you're very early on in your academic career.

Regarding another university having 3* as many staff - that is good but surely it then puts individual academic staff at even more risk if numbers drop and the department is big and expensive? I would personally find more comfort in your department which has already been slimmed down. I would think there is less chance of more staff reductions, at least in the next academic year.

It's not normally particularly easy (usually impossible) to transfer for the last year of a degree, so do consider that.
But as PP has said, an undergrad dissertation isn't going to be so complex that another lecturer from the department can't supervise it. It's mostly about showing you can do an independent piece of research and document it properly. You wouldn't be getting weekly supervision or anything like that.

Agree it isn't standard to transfer as an undergraduate in the UK. Some institutions will accept this but insist you start again as a first year, others will give some credit but insist on you starting as a second year. It varies from university to university so check that it is possible before you plan on doing it.

On the positive side I agree that most academics supervise pretty broadly, certainly at UG and taught PG level. You don't need an expert in your niche area to get a first.

Agree, it doesn't sound good. It tends to be particular subject areas that are having problems so you may find that your next institution is also in trouble.

There are ways round this - good luck

Yep. A prospective employer wouldn't care that someone had changed uni and how would they know? They'd only be interested in the grade.