ID161 A Vision for English at Keele

The Idea

English & Creative Writing at Keele is a highly successful unit within the School of HSS. In terms of league tables, it is ranked 6th nationally in The Guardian, reflecting strong NSS and outcomes; in REF2021, it was Keele’s second best-performing unit; and it is well-represented in School, Faculty, and University leadership. Though the national picture is challenging for student recruitment to English, the team has evolved the portfolio and curriculum with success, through redesign and development of SH Creative Writing. Against a backdrop of national decline, applications to English and Creative Writing courses at Keele have been steadier than the national picture or comparable subjects at Keele – applications in 2020 were 207; in 2026 they were 198. Evolution beyond routine curriculum refresh is necessary to the programme’s survival, and so we propose a review of the English offer, principally in terms of portfolio but also extracurricular activity, supported by Directorates (IDS, Estates, GSRA, Engagement & Partnerships) as well as senior academic leadership. There are relatively low-cost opportunities that could pay dividends, including modest investments to bring through new provision where supported by market analysis which in turn would enhance creative industries disciplines, and there are virtually cost-free augmentations of the portfolio which could equally yield significant ROI in a subject that remains a high-recruiting A Level and for which there are potential international markets we could better access, principally India and China. 

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

English & Creative Writing staffing levels have decreased since 2020 but student recruitment has been maintained by hard work on curriculum redesign, bringing through new provision, and intensive outreach work. There is still untapped potential in this subject – it requires an academic-led, professional-services-supported dive into how we do English and ways in which we can creatively enhance the offer in cost-efficient ways that are authentic to Keele (interdisciplinary, research-led). The principal reason the University should consider this idea is UG recruitment, but ancillary benefits accrue to partnerships (e.g. New Vic, Wedgwood, Writing West Midlands), student experience and outcomes, and research.  

How We Would Implement This Idea

A working group with senior leadership (e.g. PVC Ed.) would look at:

(1) cost-free portfolio development opportunities such as English with TESOL; English and Digital Media/Content Creation; English and Marketing; English with a Modern Language; innovative programmes with Psychology; extensions of TNE (following Keele Univ. Greece’s BA English Language and Literature); lifelong learning opportunities through more flexible study arrangements; science communication; and potentially other ideas;

(2) investment opportunities to enable new cognate courses (e.g. English with Drama, requiring estimated 1FTE staff and space/facilities development);

(3) more extensive partnership development activity to the end of further embedding English skills within modules and enhancing student showcasing opportunities;

(4) consideration of existing space and facilities.

Proposals would come forward from the working group, with senior sponsorship, to relevant decision-making committees at University level. From one point of view, the market has weakened and some post-92s are contracting or exiting; a different perspective is that the market is evolving and there are opportunities for Keele to build on its strengths in this area. With anxieties about cancel culture, fake news, LLM-based gen-AI, and communication crises around extremism, injustice, and the environment, the subject remains crucially important, particularly in a region like Stoke on Trent.  

What Success Would Look Like

Success in this space would be uplifts in applications, conversions, and enrolments, ones enabled by and justifying strategic investment of effort, as well as potentially financial resource. An evolved suite of English-related courses would enable new kinds of interdisciplinary learning in this enduringly respected subject area. New student- and staff-led initiatives for (for example) community-based participatory arts events, student placements in the creative and cultural industries, and regional leadership in responsible and intelligent use of LLM generative AI are some of the objectives the group could work towards. A re-launch of English, involving our partner colleges, could round off the body of work that goes into reimagining English at Keele. This could provide a model for subsequent work on other programmes.