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Economics module dropped

PPE and History and Economics students will not be able to sit one of the optional Economics finals modules after the Said Business School suspended teaching for the year.

The Finance paper had been an option listed in the final honour schools of PPE, History and Economics, and Economics and Management (E&M). The University, however, announced this term that the option would only be available to E&M students next year.

The Economics department informed Cherwell that the cutback in course provision is due to a shortage of Finance tutors. With no economics tutors available to teach the paper, it has had to be suspended for PPE and History and Economics in the 2012/3 academic year.

They denied any notion that the inability to universally provide the Finance module was due to resourcing disputes with the Said Business School (SBS).

The department told Cherwell, “We have an amicable and cooperative relationship with SBS. Unfortunately the Business School has no extra capacity to give Finance tutorials.

‘If they did, I have no doubt that they would have been happy to help us find tutors for the PPE and HE students.”

The Finance option is taught to E&M students by the SBS, which provides both the lecture course and arranges E&M tutorials.

The Business School had agreed to make the module available to PPE and History and Economic students by allowing them to attend Finance lectures as well, providing that the University Economics department arranged tutorials separately for them.

Hannah Cusworth, OUSU Vice-President for Access and Academic Affairs, told Cherwell, “I do not dispute the accuracy of their response, but I do question why the two departments don’t have enough tutors to give the tutorials.

“We have recently become aware of the perception that the Business School and the Economics department are not as fully committed to undergraduate tutorial teaching as they should be. OUSU have submitted a representation to the upcoming review of the Business School.

“I hope that no students are disadvantaged by this change and that the Economics department resolves the situation.”

The SBS commented, ‘The School remains fully committed to undergraduate tutorial teaching and undergraduate education. It endorses the view that there is a shortage of Finance tutors, however, which constrains our overall capacity to deliver Finance tutorials at present. We are working constructively to address these resourcing issues.’

Second year Itay Peer, studying E&M at Merton, expressed her regret at the decision, commenting, “It’s a shame they are not letting PPEists take the Finance paper anymore.’

First year Univ PPEist Leon Musolff added, “It is always sad when a PPE paper is suspended – the great variety of optional papers is one of the major selling points of the degree.”

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