Dear all,

 

There are several messages in here but I didn't want to start editing unnecessarily.

 

Read and/or delete/petition/delete, as you see fit.

 

Tina


 

 

There is now a petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-middlesex-philosophy/sign.html .


Late on Monday 26 April, staff in Philosophy at Middlesex University
in London were informed that the University executive are to close all
Philosophy programmes: undergraduate, postgraduate and MPhil/PhD.

Philosophy is the highest research-rated subject at Middlesex
University, with 65% of its research activity judged 'world-leading'
or 'internationally excellent' in the UK government's recent Research
Assessment Exercise. 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. Its MA programmes in Philosophy have
grown in recent years to become the largest in the UK, with 42 new
students admitted in September 2009. Middlesex offers one of only a
handful of programmes left in the UK that provides both research-
driven and inclusive post-graduate teaching aimed at a wide range of
students, specialist and non-specialist. It is also one of relatively
few such programmes that remains financially viable, currently
contributing close to half of its total income to the University's
central administration.

This closure will destroy a hub for internationally renowned scholarship (http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/
; staff include Eric Alliez, Peter Hallward, Mark Kelly, Christian
Kerslake, Peter Osborne and Stella Sandford). This act of wilful self-
harm by the University must be resisted.

Please join the facebook group and spread the word: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119102561449990

Campaign email: [log in to unmask]


Dear friends and colleagues,



I hope you might forgive this group message.



I regret to say that Middlesex University has just decided, rather
abruptly, to close all its Philosophy programmes and to shut down our
Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP; http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/
 <http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/> ; staff include Eric Alliez, Peter
Hallward, Mark Kelly, Christian Kerslake, Peter Osborne and Stella
Sandford). Some members of the Centre may be laid off more or less
immediately, and some will remain temporarily, to teach out the
programmes.



As you might expect we're scrambling to put together a response, and
to begin with we're asking colleagues and friends to send a brief
email or letter about the closure to the University administrators who
have made this unexpected decision. If you have time to write such a
message, please feel free to extract some points from a draft letter
that a few of our most recent collaborators will be sending later
today to Times Higher Education, below.



The main people involved in the decision are as follows:



Vice-Chancellor of the University, Michael Driscoll, [log in to unmask]
 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ;

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Waqar Ahmad, [log in to unmask]
 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ;

Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Margaret House, [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
 > ;

Dean of the School of Arts & Education, Ed Esche, [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
 > .



(The full set of emails is then: [log in to unmask];
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ; [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
 > ; [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ).



If you are able to send this sort of message, and are willing for your
message to be posted subsequently on a campaign website or blog,
please copy or blind-copy (BCC) it to our campaign email, [log in to unmask]
 <mailto:[log in to unmask]> .



By tomorrow I expect we'll have set up a petition to save the CRMEP,
and will get back to you about this soon.



Although it may already be too late to save Philosophy at Middlesex,
some decisive action now may help protect other vulnerable subjects at
the University, and in the UK more generally. It's been very
encouraging, over the course of today, to receive dozens of messages
of support and solidarity.



I'll circulate more information about the campaign to save the CRMEP
once we've had time to set up a basic website or blog.



all best,



Peter.





================



Draft letter regarding the closure of Philosophy at Middlesex University



The abrupt closure of the Philosophy programmes at Middlesex
University is a matter of national and indeed international concern.
Not only does it flatly contradict the stated commitment of Middlesex
University to promote 'research excellence', it represents a startling
and perhaps irreversible stage in the ongoing impoverishment of
Philosophy provision in the UK.

The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/
) at Middlesex makes a significant and distinctive contribution to the
teaching of philosophy in the UK. Its set of MA programmes is
currently the largest in the UK, and Philosophy is the highest
research-rated subject at the University.

The CRMEP is now widely recognised as one of the most important
centres for the study of modern European philosophy anywhere in the
English-speaking world. Building on its grade of 5 in the 2001
Research Assessment Exercise, in the 2008 RAE Middlesex was rated
first in philosophy among post-1992 universities, with 65% of its
research activity judged ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

More importantly, work carried out at the CRMEP is characterised by a
unique emphasis on broad cultural, artistic and intellectual contexts,
and a marked sense of social and political engagement.

Middlesex Philosophy is one of only a handful of programmes left in
the UK that provides both research-driven and inclusive post-graduate
teaching aimed at a wide range of students, specialist and non-
specialist. It also happens to generate a substantial amount of
surplus revenue for the University, currently contributing close to
half of its total income to the University's central administration.

Middlesex University has decided to close its CRMEP in the complete
absence of any persuasive academic or economic rationale. We call on
Middlesex University to reverse this damaging and ill-judged decision
to close its Philosophy programmes, and to renew its commitment to
widening participation in education and to excellence in research.


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