The Vice-Chancellor updated Council, the University's governing body, about programme changes in linguistics at its meeting on 27 March.
The Department of English announced last month that it will not be admitting new students in October 2009 to undergraduate programmes in linguistics.
Council confirmed that this is properly a matter for academic management - in this case for the School of Humanities and the English department in the first instance.
Having reviewed the programmes and research activity being offered, the department is looking to develop further its existing research and teaching across literature, drama and English language.
Current linguistics students will continue to be taught by linguistics staff within the English department and they will be able to complete their degree programmes.
Dr Steve Burman, Dean of Humanities, has assured the 55 continuing students: "We remain committed to providing the highest quality of provision in our teaching of this subject over the next few years and will ensure that there is proper staffing to allow this."
Meetings have been held with all affected staff. There are currently four members of teaching faculty and three Tutorial Fellows. Because there will not be any incoming undergraduates in autumn 2009, one post will not be renewed for the next academic year.
The remaining teaching staff will continue in post until the current undergraduates have completed their degree programmes. In 2011 staffing levels will be reviewed with regard to the need at that point for teaching and research in English language; this is an area where the University can see growing demand.
The department is retaining its postgraduate MA provision in English Language and Applied Linguistics as this fits well with the future research mission of the new School of English.
A meeting with staff will be held in the first week of the summer term for all current linguistics students.
The decision will then continue to go through the normal process for the withdrawal of academic programmes, including consideration by Teaching and Learning Committee and report to Senate, the University's academic body.