shocking news from Salford, and rather ironic that it comes at a time when
we're discussing/outlining the increasing(?) attention to geography within
other subject areas / traditions...
____________________________________________
Dr. Duncan Fuller
Division of Geography and Environmental Management
Lipman Building
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
UK
Tel (Direct): (0191) 2273753
Mobile: 07946 401359
Tel (Division Office): (0191) 2273951
Fax: (0191) 2274715
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pauline Marne [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 02 July 2002 19:16
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: closing of geography at Salford University
>
> You may or may not have heard/read that Geography at Salford has been
> closed
> with immediate effect from September 2002 (it is not the only academic
> area
> to be closed in Salford recently). Students applying for next year were
> written to and told at the end of May. 2nd and 3rd years have been
> promised
> some kind of course but with a reduction in staff of 50% this is seeming
> more and more unlikely (only 2 human geographers are left to run an entire
> Urban Geography degree!!) All this on the say so of a dubious financial
> model that was not only as good as the flawed numbers put in but which has
> also been shown to be unreliable when applied at a sub-school level ( to
> 11
> staff).
>
> A couple of geography staff have left voluntarily, bullied into submission
> with the threat of a compulsory redundancy committee that was set up long
> before the voluntary redundancy deadline. Out of the rest - a smallish
> group of 8 geographers - 3 compulsory redundancies will be made (However
> note that 2 of these 8 are profs. and 1 other has already been
> 'cherrypicked' to develop GIS courses - leaving the startling figures of
> perm any 3 from 5)!
>
> Salford's VC (Michael Harloe - you may know the name - he used to be very
> critical!!) has been described as the kind of man to wear compulsory
> redundancies like a badge!! Dissent at Salford (at least at managerial
> levels) is none-existent due to the efforts of the VC in
> removing/suppressing this over the last few years.
>
> Note that the institution is to be nationally/internationally grey-listed
> in
> the very near future and your support in spreading the message as to what
> is
> going on at Salford would be very much appreciated. Today it might just
> be
> geography, chemistry, physics, mathematics.... tomorrow who knows??
>
> Pauline Marne
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