Dear colleagues,
Late
on Monday 26 April, the Dean of the School of Arts & Education,
Ed Esche, informed
staff in Philosophy that the University
executive had ‘accepted his recommendation’
to close all Philosophy programmes: undergraduate, postgraduate and
MPhil/PhD.
Philosophy
is the highest research-rated subject in the University. Building on
its grade
5 rating in RAE2001, it was awarded a score of 2.8 on the new RAE
scale in
2008, with 65% of its research activity judged
‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. It is now
widely recognised as one of the most important centres for the
study
of modern European philosophy anywhere in the English-speaking
world. The MA programmes in Philosophy at Middlesex have grown in
recent years to become the largest
in the UK, with 42 new students admitted in September 2009.
The
Dean explained that the decision to terminate recruitment and close
the programmes
was ’simply financial’, and based on the fact that the
University believes
that it may be able to generate more revenue if it shifts its
resources to other
subjects – from ‘Band D’ to ‘Band C’ students. As you may
know, the University currently expects each academic unit to
contribute
55% of its gross income to the central administration.
As it stands (by the credit count
method of calculation), Philosophy and Religious Studies contributes
53%,
after the deduction of School admin costs. According to the
figures for projected recruitment
from admissions (with Philosophy undergraduate applications up 118%
for
2010-11), if programmes had remained open, the contribution
from Philosophy and Religious Studies
would have risen to 59% (with Philosophy’s contribution,
considered on
its own, at 53%).
In a
meeting with Philosophy staff, the Dean acknowledged the excellent
research reputation
of Philosophy at Middlesex, but said that it made no
‘measurable’
contribution
to the University. Needless to say, we very much regret this
decision to terminate Philosophy, and its
likely
consequences for the School and our University and for the teaching
of our subject
in the UK.
·
Professor Peter Hallward,
Programme Leader for the MA
programmes in Philosophy,
·
Professor Peter Osborne, Director, Centre for Research in Modern
European Philosophy,
·
Dr. Stella Sandford, Director of Programmes, Philosophy
If you
would like to show Middlesex
University what you think of this, please email
Vice-Chancellor
of the University, Michael Driscoll m.driscoll@mdx.ac.uk
Deputy
Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Waqar Ahmad,
w.ahmad@mdx.ac.uk
Deputy
Vice Chancellor Academic, Margaret House, m.house@mdx.ac.uk
Dean
of the School of Arts & Education, Ed Esche, e.esche@mdx.ac.uk
If you are able to send such an
email, it would be helpful if you blind copied (BCC) it to our
campaign email, savemdxphil@gmail.com,
as well as a copy
of any reply
you may receive.
Online petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-middlesex-philosophy.html
More info:
http://www.cinestatic.com/infinitethought/index.asp