ACADEMICS have written to Alex Salmond asking him to intervene in controversial plans for course cuts at a leading Scottish university.

Officials from the Strathclyde University branch of the UCU lecturers’ union contacted the First Minister after he publicly backed the institution.

Mr Salmond recently praised Professor Jim McDonald, principal of Strathclyde, for developing a £90 million technology innovation centre in Glasgow.

He also contrasted staff relationships at Strathclyde with neighbouring Glasgow University, where there has been outspoken protests over threatened course cuts.

Mr Salmond said Professor Anton Muscatelli, principal of Glasgow University, seemed to “spend his entire time fighting with his staff and the wider community”.

“There are two different attitudes. You either have a principal of a university who sees and seizes opportunities and takes his university on a fantastic route, as the principal of Strathclyde has done, or you have one who has these battles with his staff and students for no apparent reason,” he said.

In a letter to Mr Salmond, UCU Strathclyde vice-presidents Bill Johnston and Neil Davidson said staff at Strathclyde were just as concerned over course cuts and the attitude of their principal as academics at Glasgow.

“We know ... you hold certain proposed developments here in high esteem, in particular the proposed technology innovation centre,” the letter states.

“However, we feel your support for this initiative should be balanced by serious concern about proposed closures and ... equally disturbing proposals to reduce the workforce in a number of professional service areas, with consequent detriment to the students whose needs they exist to meet.”

The letter adds: “Our view is that university senior management ... have not taken our constructive views into account, and are simply pressing ahead with what we consider to be a flawed strategic plan, in much the same way as was recently seen at Glasgow and a number of other Scottish universities.

“This is a recipe for instability and dispute, which is not in the best interests of the majority of stakeholders in the university, above all our students. Consequently we request that you raise our concerns directly with ... the principal.”

The Herald revealed last month that Strathclyde is planning to axe courses in music, education, geography and sociology. Up to 25 jobs could be lost from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences under the proposals, that could save the university £750,000.

Strathclyde said the subjects were under-performing in research, were not financially viable and were no longer core to its strategy of becoming a leading European technological university.

However, there has been a backlash from staff and students who argue the cuts are short-sighted.

A university spokesman said: “Strathclyde’s strategy to become a leading international technological university has been developed by our staff, and is fully supported by our governing body. More than £350m is being invested in making that vision real, and the strategy has been endorsed, and supported, by business, industry and the public sector.

“Staff and students are fully involved in the decision-making process, and there is an on-going open dialogue with the unions.”

He added: “A strong Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is critical to the delivery of the university’s academic aim of encouraging multi-disciplinary research and teaching.

“These proposals will allow the university to build its research profile, deliver teaching excellence, and make an even greater impact on society.”