SaveKUPolitics: SU president says university ‘may be turning their back on their original mission’

Union of Kingston Students’ president, Feisal Haji, has expressed his support for the campaign against the suspension of the KU Department of Politics and says that the university may be “turning their back on their original mission”.

A petition was launched earlier this month to try and to stop the Department of Politics, International Relations and Human Rights from potential closure and so far it has reached more than 1600 signatures.

“The Union of Kingston Students stands with politics students. This is a department that has enriched the lives of so many students and their courses have some of the highest satisfaction rates.

“The campaign you are seeing (SaveKUPolitics) is purely run on the passion politics students have for their courses. Their theme is that politics is for everyone, including working-class students and not just the elite.

“Kingston University is meant to be a university that gives opportunities to those that are often ignored. To do this is to send a signal that they may be turning their back on their original mission,” said Haji.

A Kingston University spokesperson said that the decision to suspend undergraduate student applications to politics courses for admissions in September 2021 was made due to a low recruitment level.

“Recruitment to these courses has been falling over recent years. The university will be reviewing wider plans for the politics department, in consultation with staff and students, over the coming months.

“The review will consider changes in the higher education environment, the needs of our students and employers, and they aim to build a sustainable and sought-after academic portfolio.”