Q: What happens now?
A: You will continue with your studies as usual until you have completed your degree. The University is completely committed to ensuring that you receive the high quality teaching and student experience that you expected when you joined.

Q: Will the University change its mind?
A: No. The decision has been taken by Council.

Q: Will employers still recognise/value my degree?
A: A degree from UEA will stand you in good stead for your future career, regardless of subject.  Although it is not commonplace to close down a whole school of study, many courses have closed over the years in the sector, and departments have merged. We have detected no negative impact on our alumni as a consequence of such changes nor have we heard such reports from other institutions or from prospective employers.

Q: If I want to go on to study at postgraduate level, will I be disadvantaged if I can’t do so at UEA where I did my first degree?
A: Many people undertake postgraduate study at a different institution.  If you achieve a good first degree qualification, it will stand you in good stead to be accepted elsewhere.

Q: Can I transfer to another course at UEA?
A: If there are places available and subject to entry requirements being met, it could be possible. If you are interested in investigating this route then you can discuss this directly with the admissions office. While we will consider course transfers this is always dependent upon how much of the course has been missed, so speak to our Head of Admissions David Giles as soon as possible on david.g.giles@uea.ac.uk

Q: Can I transfer to another university?
A: In principle we would have no objection. You would, however, need to contact your chosen university to see if they have any places and will accept you. If we can be of any assistance, such as writing references, we will happily help.

Q: Why wasn’t I told about this before I started my course in September?
A: The review’s remit was open-ended. We were not able to pre-judge the outcome by informing prospective students of this possibility before a decision was made. 

Q: What will happen to my fees if I want to withdraw and go to another University in 2012, or if I intercalate?
A: We will need to look at each such request on a case by case basis in consultation with the Student Loans Company, in order to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome for your particular circumstances.

Q: Will all modules currently offered in Years 2 and 3 continue to be offered and be delivered by staff of equivalent experience and expertise?
A: We can never guarantee on any course that all current modules will be offered in two or three years’ time. That is why our prospectus stresses that modules listed are examples of what is likely to be on offer.

Q: Postgraduates and students from other years have a great input into the education of first-year students. How can you compensate for this?
A: Current first years will continue to be part of an undergraduate and postgraduate community in the School until they reach their final year. In particular, there are a number of postgraduates who will be completing their degrees during this period.

Q: How can you ensure that morale is maintained within the School?
A: We are talking to all members of staff about their future on an individual basis and are doing all we can to support them at this time.  Academics in the School are being relieved of admissions work and other administrative duties. They will also have lower teaching loads. Students are likely to enjoy an even better staff-student ratio and our Teaching Director will seek to ensure that we can continue to deliver the kind of student experience of which the School is rightly proud. The School of Music is a tight-knit community. We have every confidence in the professionalism of the staff to ensure that current students can complete their studies in a positive atmosphere.  

Q: Why can’t you teach music even if the lecturers are not researching?
A: The new government funding structure means that research income is essential to make up the shortfall of grant income that we will no longer receive from the Government.  The University’s new Corporate Plan is based on the premise that every School will engage in research as well as teaching. It is exactly due to this reasoning that we are to set up an academy of music, to continue a form of high-quality teaching but focussing on practical music-making.

Q: Will current lecturers still be able to research?
A: Yes.

Q: How many redundancies will there be?
A: One current member of staff will continue in post as Director of UEA Music and we are engaged in talks with the aim of finding alternative posts at UEA for all members of Music staff who wish to remain at UEA. However, if this proves impossible in any case, it is the University’s intention to make no one redundant until after the final cohort of undergraduates have completed their studies in 2014.

Q: What will the Director of Music do if there is no Music School?
A: The Director will provide a structure to support the continuation of choirs and orchestras both within UEA and the region. This will include an Academy of Music for talented young people (aged 16 to 24) from the region and beyond. We are confident that this will ensure that music as a cultural activity will continue to flourish, and, given the proposed new outreach programme, there may even be more musical activity than at present.

Q: Why pay to subsidise choirs and orchestras when you could have income from students?
A: The School has not been viable for some time and has relied on subsidy that was designed for cultural and outreach activity. We would not get sufficient income from students to maintain the school in the new funding regime. We are instead reverting to spending the subsidy on activities that it was originally intended for and returning to the original vision of establishing a high-powered ‘academy’ for teaching practical music set within a University environment.

Q: How much will the plans for outreach cost?
A: We expect this to cost around £100,000 a year, subject to a satisfactory business plan.  This includes the salary of a Director of Music with some support, continued sponsorship of an orchestra in residence and costs associated with concerts. But recent experience (the 12 concerts that Chamber Orchestra Anglia is undertaking with Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust) shows that such events can be successfully put on without the need for large subsidy from the University.

Q: Is it realistic to expect that choirs and orchestras can continue without a backbone of talented Music students?
A: Of course our Music students make a huge contribution to these groups, but this is a model that has worked elsewhere – at both Exeter and Reading Universities, for instance.  Many students in other disciplines – from Medicine to Drama – are talented musicians who keep up their playing and singing while studying here:  85% of UEA students with a music qualification are studying subjects other than Music.  The University Choir and Symphony Orchestra both have a strong core of members who work across different departments of the University or who live in Norwich and have little other connection with UEA.  We also expect any gap to be filled by a cohort of talented young people who will form the Academy.

Q: What if lecturers leave? How can you guarantee that we will continue to receive the high standard of education that you promised?
A: We will do what we would do if a lecturer left at any time: we are confident that we could recruit replacement staff of a very high calibre in the current jobs market.    In addition, some of the highly qualified and successful part-time teachers in the School are excellent musicians and teachers based permanently in Norfolk, who have received high satisfaction scores from our students.  Their hours have, on occasions, increased to cover faculty study leave, and they would be available to do so again if necessary.   

Q: Is this the beginning of a reduced investment by the University in creative subjects?
A: Absolutely not. We will continue to offer a number of very sought after and popular degrees in creative subjects and across the humanities.  A far greater threat to the continuation of other creative subjects would have been to continue to subsidise a subject that was losing money every year.

Q: What will happen to the building and facilities?
A: Current students will continue to use the building during their remaining time here.  The role of Director of Music will continue, as will musical activities including the proposed academy, and the concert room and practice rooms will be retained for use by students.  Discussions will take place over the appropriate use of the rest of the building in the run up to the closure of the School.

Q: Will students receive compensation?
A: No. They will receive the same high standard of education and experience that they expected on arrival here.

Q: How does the University plan to manage the transition?
A: The School will continue to be run by the same management which has proved successful over the past two years. Our Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) will chair a 2014 student experience stakeholder group, which will include student representatives, and we will follow our usual course closure monitoring procedure.