A CONTROVERSIAL decision by a leading Scottish university to close a culture and language course is to be reviewed after claims it was unlawful.

The next meeting of Glasgow University’s ruling Court is to hear concerns from two of the institution’s academics that moves to shut the Slavonic Studies course run counter to legislation on higher education.

Dr Aileen McHarg and Professor Tom Mullen, who specialise in administrative law, raised the issue with Professor Anton Muscatelli, the university principal, in June after the closure decision.

They argue the 1966 Universities (Scotland) Act stipulates that withdrawing degree programmes has to be agreed by Senate, which represents academics, before Court can proceed.

In the case of Slavonic Studies, an earlier meeting of the university Senate expressed disapproval over the closure plans.

A letter from the pair circulated to university colleagues states: “The upshot of our discussions is that -- although management remains of the view that the decision is lawful -- Court will be asked .... to review its decision to withdraw Slavonic Studies in light of the concerns we have raised.”

The row comes as universities are facing growing calls to protect lesser-taught languages.

Last week, Oscar-winning playwright Sir Tom Stoppard handed in a petition to the Scottish Parliament backing the retention of “vulnerable” modern languages at Scottish universities.

The 3000-strong petition highlights a campaign to promote lesser-taught languages and cultures such as Russian, Czech and Polish.

Sir Tom -- who has won Academy and Tony awards for his work, including Shakespeare In Love and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and who was born Tomas Straussler in the former Czechoslovakia -- said languages have an important role to play.

“Learning Eastern European languages is a resource, certainly for the Scottish undergraduates,” he said. “It’s a resource in the real world of economics just as much as it’s a resource for the general fulfilment of a whole life.”

A spokesman for the University of Glasgow said officials believed the decision had been correctly made.

“At its next meeting, Court will be briefed on a question that has been raised regarding the legal basis for its decision.

“The university’s legal advice is that Court’s decision is sound,” he said.

He added: “The decision to close the course in Slavonic Studies will allow the university to invest elsewhere in the School of Modern Languages and, indeed, elsewhere in the university.

“Modern language provision is a vital part of our offerings. This was made clear .... when it was confirmed we would continue to teach the full, current range of modern languages, and at the levels presently taught.”

The development is the latest battle between the university and academics over the nature and importance of Slavonic Studies.

The university argues the course does not have a language teaching element and that take-up by students has been low.

However, supporters of the course say Slavonic Studies includes optional courses in Czech, Russian and Polish, and student numbers have risen steadily from 2004-05 to 2010-11.

It is also argued that learning about the cultures of Eastern Europe encourages more people to study its languages.

The university argues all the language elements will continue to be delivered at the same level.