Independent adjudicator finds in favour of Chichester University students left in 'academic limbo' after African history course axed
An independent adjudicator has found in favour of Chichester University students who say they were left in ‘limbo’ when their postgraduate course on the History of Africa and the Black Diaspora was axed in the middle of the academic year.
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education found a complaint made by the thirteen students was at least partially justified, and that the university’s claim that they would not guarantee a specific member of staff would teach students was ultimately unreasonable.
Students were participating in a Masters by Research Programme (MRes) or conducting research for a PHD on the university’s History of Africa and the Black Diaspora course, but the programme was terminated without warning in July 2023 – while students were still part way through their studies – and its award-winning leader, Professor Hakim Adi was made redundant shortly afterwards. Professor Adi is a leader in his field, the first African-British historian to become a Professor of History in the UK, who was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize the same year that his course was axed, and the termination came as a shock to staff and students alike.
Assessing the case, the OIA refused to uphold all of the complaints, on the grounds that the Black Equity Organisation (BEO) had brought a Judicial Review of the university’s actions in 2024, and so a number of grounds had been dealt with, but accepted that 12 of the students had a legitimate expectation of being taught by Professor Adi.
The OIA ultimately found that the university advertised the programme based on the fact that students would have the opportunity to “learn directly” from Professor Adi himself, described by the University as the only professor of the history of Africa and its associated diaspora in Britain. The University has now been ordered to pay the students compensation.
“The OIA’s ruling is a significant victory for the students who were left in academic limbo after their course was unjustly terminated. The decision acknowledges the fundamental principle that students should receive the education they were promised, taught by the experts they signed up to learn from,” Jacqueline McKenzie, a human rights partner at Leigh Day, who represented the students, said.
“While this ruling is an important step forward, we remain deeply concerned about the circumstances that led to the closure of this groundbreaking course and the impact on those affected. We will continue to pursue justice for our clients as we await the next steps in both the OIA process and their legal claim.”
Approached for comment, a spokesperson for the University of Chichester said: "Like all universities, the University of Chichester periodically reviews its course portfolio in response to enrolment trends and financial pressures. The MRes in The History of Africa and The African Diaspora regrettably closed to new applicants in 2023, but we are making every effort to work with continuing students so that they can complete their studies. We refute any suggestion of discrimination and note that the OIA claim was only partially upheld on the basis of procedural issues."