Dear Frank and Gisela
I agree that we should protest against the closure of German at QUB (the
decision has apparently already been made to teach it out over 4 years).
As I understand it, since the RAE they have managed to amass nearly
£100,000 in total grant allocations from the AHRC/DFG and the British
Academy and the number of recruits at first year level per member of full
time staff is at least as healthy as the rest of us. If they are at risk,
then all of us are.
Peter
-- 
Dr Peter Thompson
Director, Centre for Ernst Bloch Studies 
http://shef.ac.uk/ernstbloch/)
Senior Lecturer in German
Department of Germanic Studies
Jessop West
1 Upper Hanover Street
Sheffield S3 7RA
tel: 0114 222 4907
fax: 0114 275 1198 

Von einem gewissen Punkt an gibt es keine Rückkehr mehr. Dieser Punkt ist 
zu erreichen.
Kafka


Quoting "Gisela.Holfter" <[log in to unmask]>:

> Dear Frank,
> I was extremely concerned to hear about the plans to close the German
> Department at Queen's, Belfast, especially as I had the pleasure of
> being external examiner there 2006-2008. I find it incredible that a
> programme is being closed that has been successful in recruiting
> undergraduates (with fairly stable student numbers in the last ten years
> in contrast to many other institutions), quite apart from the fact that
> the department consists of very enthusiastic and active staff with a
> good track record in research and funding success. 
> I would urge colleagues to write to Queen's University and/or
> appropriate other media outlets such as newspapers etc. If we can rouse
> a lot of resistance now it might well send a strong message to
> administrators in other institutions that they should think twice before
> considering closing German departments. 
> Best wishes
> Gisela
> 
> 
> Dr Gisela Holfter
> Senior Lecturer & Head of German
> Joint Director Centre for Irish-German Studies
> University of Limerick
> Limerick / Ireland
> phone: +353 (0)61 202395
> fax: +353 (0)61 202556 
> http://www.ul.ie/~lcs/Irish-German/
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JISCmail German Studies List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frank Finlay
> Sent: 15 June 2009 09:54
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: British Academy raises new concerns over decline in
> language learning
> 
> Colleagues
> 
> In the context of Duncan's summary of the recent BA report, you will
> perhaps be aware that HEFCE has commissioned a review on the health of
> modern foreign languages provision in English higher education. 
> 
> This review is operating to an extremely tight deadline, with a
> consultation meeting on July 1st, interim report by the end of July and
> final report due in September. 
> 
> See 
> http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2009/languages.htm
> 
> At the same time, you will be aware of the negative impact on QR
> ('quality-rated') funding for the modern languages community arising
> from RAE 2008. 
> Anecdotal evidence suggests that this has already begun to feed through
> to some institutions, with a number of departments being subjected to
> reviews of their activity or threatened with closure. Queen's
> University, Belfast is, to the best of my knowledge, the first to
> announce its plans to discontinue German.
> 
> From the point of the German Studies community, these external
> developments and reports coincide with recent attempts to join up the
> various responses of WIGS, AGS (formerly CUTG), the Heads of German
> annual meeting (HoGMEET) and UCML. Indeed, conversations between myself
> and representatives of those bodies have prompted this email.
> 
> In the first instance it would be extremely helpful, therefore, if you
> would please alert me (in advance of the 1st July consultation meeting)
> to any immediate signs of threat to German in your institutions. 
> 
> Please use 'HEFCE Review' in the reference line of your email.
> 
> With best wishes,
> Frank
> Professor Frank Finlay
> President, Association for German Studies (formerly CUTG)
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JISCmail German Studies List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Duncan Large
> Sent: 04 June 2009 14:26
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: British Academy raises new concerns over decline in language
> learning
> 
> ------- Forwarded message follows -------
> From:	"British Academy" <[log in to unmask]>
> 
> 
> BRITISH ACADEMY RAISES NEW CONCERNS OVER DECLINE IN LANGUAGE LEARNING
> 
> A report issued yesterday (3 June 2009) by the British Academy raises 
> concerns that the future of the UK´s world class research base might be
> 
> threatened by the decline in modern language learning and calls for a 
> series of measures by Universities and Government bodies to address 
> this danger.  The report "Language Matters" follows a year-long study 
> into the effect the fall in modern language learning is having in 
> research fields, especially in humanities and social sciences 
> disciplines, for which the Academy speaks.  It is informed by specially
> 
> commissioned research into the impact this may already be having in UK 
> universities.
> 
> The Academy concludes that the declining language skills are damaging 
> the education system in a number of ways:
> 
> - it is having a harmful impact on the ability of UK-born and UK-
> educated researchers to compete with their counterparts from overseas
> 
> - it works against efforts to ensure that the UK is a world-class hub 
> of research, which in turn is damaging to the UK´s economy
> 
> - it affects the UK´s ability to address many of the most urgent global
> 
> challenges
> 
> - it is damaging the health of humanities and social science research.
> 
> The report states: "In a world of research that is global, these 
> serious shortcomings and deficits undermine the Government´s objective 
> of positioning the UK as a hub of international research." Research 
> commissioned from RAND Europe showed that universities are addressing 
> this skills shortage by buying in the skills they need from abroad, 
> rather than by helping UK researchers and academics to `upskill´.
> 
> The Minister for Higher Education, the Rt Hon David Lammy MP, was among
> 
> the speakers at the launch event for the report on 3 June.  The British
> 
> Academy welcomes the Government´s recent initiative to encourage 
> language learning in primary schools, but says "there is an urgent need
> 
> for a joined-up approach on the part of Government Departments" and 
> calls on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and 
> the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) "to 
> develop a more coherent and coordinated approach to the problem."
> 
> The report also calls on Universities to consider bringing in a 
> language requirement for university entry, following the lead taken 
> recently taken by University College, London, or to ensure that 
> students at least leave with a language qualification.
> 
> The report is available from:
> http://www.britac.ac.uk/reports/language-matters
> 
> 
> The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH
> Tel: 020 7969 5200, Fax: 020 7969 5300, Web: www.britac.ac.uk
>