One of Britain’s leading university vice-chancellors has described sweeping cuts to arts and humanities across the sector as “absolutely tragic”, citing her famous daughter as an example of the value of a creative arts education.
Prof Evelyn Welch, the vice-chancellor of Bristol University and incoming chair of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, is the mother of Florence Welch, the singer-songwriter from Florence + the Machine.
Florence enrolled on an art foundation course at Camberwell College of Arts before leaving to pursue music. While her post-art school trajectory is exceptional, her mother believes “the rigour, the get-out-of-bed-by-seven-o’clock-every-morning and the feedback on how to control your creativity” was integral to her success.
“There’s no question, a degree in fine arts or in drama or creative practice, initially, 18 months after you graduate, does not look like it’s giving you a great return on your investment,” she said.
“However, I take a really personal view on this. My oldest daughter is the only child in my family who really is making a very significant amount of money.”
The others in her blended family of six children have forged successful careers in professions including medicine and teaching.
The Guardian revealed on Tuesday that thousands of university job cuts across the arts, humanities and social sciences were creating widespread academic cold spots, closing down opportunities for often disadvantaged young people.
Universities facing financial difficulties owing to the diminishing value of domestic tuition fees and a drop in international student numbers because of visa restrictions have been forced to make cuts to staff and courses, which have fallen disproportionately on arts and humanities departments.
A recent government announcement of cuts to the strategic priorities grant, which is intended to support high-cost subjects where the cost of delivery exceeds income from tuition fees, will further hit creative and performing arts.
“Government is making really difficult decisions,” said Welch, who takes over at the Russell Group in August. “But in the long run, undermining the creativity in our country is foolish because we are really good at it.”
Welch, a professor of Renaissance studies and the author of Shopping in the Renaissance, a prize-winning book, added: “I have a real concern that when you are only measuring employability at a very early stage in someone’s life you are missing the growth and the success that take place after that.
“[Florence] was going to go on and do a BA in illustration. Certainly not everyone has to decide between becoming a pop star and doing a BA in illustration, and not everyone is as successful. I tease her sometimes and say there’s still time to do it.”
Welch is taking over at the 24-strong Russell Group as the government considers introducing minimum grade requirements to qualify for student loans in England, under proposals that could in effect bar thousands of young people from higher education.
She said it was right a debate was taking place because at some institutions students were being recruited without any minimum requirements and were failing to graduate and go on to good jobs. She admitted it was “a tricky balance” with ambitions for widening participation.
With Andy Burnham about to take over as prime minister, Welch called for changes to university funding and a shift away from the “absolute dog-eat-dog” market-based higher education environment.
“We were set up as a market in 2012 on the assumption that market failures were a good thing,” she said. “What we’ve found is that it’s really damaging for community and students when you do have market failure in higher education.”
Welch also wants greater clarity on domestic tuition fees going forward – the government has confirmed two years of inflationary uplifts – and she urged Burnham to look again at the international student levy, outlined in draft legislation this week, which will require universities to pay a flat fee of £925 per student per year from August 2028.
She is worried that universities will not be a top priority for Burnham. “He is coming in to a complex political, geopolitical environment, where there are lots of challenges that he will have to deal with immediately and in the long term,” she said.
“It does not sound like higher education is at the top of that list of things that he should be addressing.”
