A UK university located in the historic heart of English literature has announced that it will discontinue its English literature degree program after a steep decline in student interest.
The decision of Canterbury Christ Church University, scheduled to take effect in 2025, has provoked frustration among students and locals who view it as a blow to Canterbury's cultural legacy, the BBC reported.
Canterbury, England, is a city with deep literary roots, famously associated with Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" and the birthplace of prominent literary figures including Christopher Marlowe and Aphra Behn.
The university has long been a hub for students drawn to study English literature within this rich context. Yet, in recent years, the school has seen a large decrease in enrollment for the English literature program.
The drop, coupled with broader financial challenges facing universities across the UK, led to the decision to eliminate the course completely.
Second-year student Freya Hodge created a petition to reverse the decision, calling the act a "betrayal to the city of Canterbury" as the school was "bursting with heritage," the BBC reported.
The petition has since gathered more than 100 signatures. Despite the backlash, the university maintains that the decline in enrollment makes the course "no longer viable in the current climate." The institution added that existing students will be able to complete their degrees.
Affected students who have not yet started their full degree will be given options to transfer to other programs. Meanwhile, faculty members impacted by the decision will receive support from the school as it navigates the transition.
"Colleagues will be supported throughout this transition in the coming months as they explore the impact with them," the school said, as reported by the BBC.
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