Dear All,
the message below may be of interest particularly to people based in
England - but not only. I'd be grateful if you could circulate it to
people, who you think may have an interest.
Cheers,
Umberto
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Thom Brooks <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 29 June 2011 00:46
Subject: RE: AHRC & Big Society
To: Thom Brooks <[log in to unmask]>
Dear friends and colleagues,
My apologies for once more writing to you about the Arts and
Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and its refusal to remove the "Big
Society" from its delivery plan on strategic research funding
priorities.
There have been important developments. On Thursday, I wrote to the
AHRC on behalf of 40+ senior academics serving on the AHRC Peer Review
College. We stated our intention to resign en masse unless there were
clear positive steps taken to remove the "Big Society" from the AHRC
delivery plan by Monday, 27 June. The AHRC issues a brief statement to
the press (and not to us) that they "regret" our statement, but many
more remain on the Peer Review College. We have now resigned. This
story is attracting media coverage from the BBC, the Guardian, the
Times Higher, the Chronicle of Higher Education, InsideHigherEd,
Research Fortnightly, and elsewhere. The AHRC response has been not to
respond: they are issuing no statements on this matter to us or the
press. This is a clear act of burying their head in the sand and
wishing this away.
Our campaign is a position of principle: political campaign slogans
should have no place in research council delivery plans. Our petitions
have attracted 4,000 signatures and this position reaffirmed in a
joint statement by 30+ learned societies. Now 40+ senior academics
have resigned from the AHRC Peer Review College with more resignations
forthcoming. This is unprecedented widespread opposition from across
the sector. The AHRC decision to not dignify our calls for change with
a response is indefensible: the AHRC can hardly deserve our trust when
it treats the widely shared principled position of the academic
community in this way. Unsurprisingly, some have now called upon AHRC
CEO Rick Rylance to resign.
We have strength in numbers and our position cannot be ignored
further. I fear there is little choice but to ask each of you to
further support this campaign in the following ways:
1. Please write immediately to the following and feel free to use form letter:
Professor Rick Rylance ([log in to unmask])
Professor Sir Alan Wilson ([log in to unmask])
Dr Sue Carver ([log in to unmask])
David Willetts MP ([log in to unmask])
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
Dear AHRC,
I strongly support the campaign to remove the "Big Society" from the
AHRC delivery plan. This a position of principle, not politics:
political campaign slogans have no place in research council delivery
plans. I join 4,000 colleagues and 30+ learned societies in calling on
this change with immediate effect. There is unprecedented widespread
support for change and the AHRC has lost the argument. It cannot
ignore further the clear principled position that has united the
academy and retain its respect. Please no longer delay: the campaign
is not over.
Sincerely yours,
2. I understand that many colleagues have mixed feelings for many
reasons about joining colleagues in resigning from the AHRC Peer
Review College. None have taken this decision lightly and some have
served since it was launched. It would be particularly helpful for
AHRC Peer Review College members to join the 40+ senior colleagues who
have now resigned. (I would hope that we might all be permitted to
rejoin after the "Big Society" is removed from the AHRC delivery
plan.) HOWEVER, if you wish to support our campaign but unwilling to
resign at present, THEN PLEASE TELL THE AHRC THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS
CHANGE AND YOU ARE AN AHRC PEER REVIEW COLLEGE MEMBER. While I would
welcome more colleagues resigning, please do not hesitate from
contacting the AHRC even if you do not want to resign at this time. It
is important that the AHRC know how strongly we are opposed to the
"Big Society" in their delivery plan.
I remain optimistic that change is possible, but we must continue
voicing our concerns. We cannot permit the AHRC to wish this away
without comment. If the unprecedented widspread support of colleagues
for a small, but important change like this should fail, then this may
be a very worrying sign about our ability to influence the agenda when
faced with much larger (and more divisive) issues in the profession
such as the recently published white paper.
I am extremely grateful for any further help you can offer. I know a
great many of you have written more than once. The AHRC thinks we can
be ignored. We must rise to the challenge if our campaign is to
succeed.
Sincerely yours,
Thom
--------------
Dr Thom Brooks
Reader in Political and Legal Philosophy
Member, AHRC Peer Review College
Department of Politics
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)191 222 5288
Website: http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/t.brooks/
Journal of Moral Philosophy: http://www.brill.nl/jmp
The Brooks Blog: http://the-brooks-blog.blogspot.com
Department of Politics
School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology
University of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom
________________________________________
From: Thom Brooks
Sent: 21 June 2011 15:35
To: Thom Brooks
Subject: AHRC & Big Society
Dear friends and colleagues,
My thanks again for your support in the campaign to persuade the UK's
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to remove the "Big
Society" from its current delivery plan. Please take a moment to read
this important message.
We have widespread support for our campaign. Our petitions have
attracted over 4,000 signatures from across disciplines and political
divisions. Signatories include Fellows of the British Academy and
Royal Society. More than 30 learned societies agreed a joint statement
in support of the petition. Hundreds of emails and letters of support
have been sent to Rick Rylance, the AHRC CEO. The UCU has supported
our campaign and the Rt Hon David Willetts (Minister of State for
Universities and Science) has recently remarked on the "hazard" of
including political campaign slogans in research council delivery
plans. The support has been truly unprecedented and the issue has
received much media coverage. This includes new articles published in
the Guardian yesterday:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/19/academics-quit-over-big-society
This has encouraged the Shadow Universities minister, Gareth Thomas
MP, to write to Willetts to demand action:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jun/20/labour-steps-into-big-society-row?CMP=twt_fd
The AHRC response has been disappointing. They continue to reject
calls for this brief, but important, change to the AHRC Delivery Plan.
We argue a point of principle, not politics: political campaign
slogans have no place in research council delivery plans for strategic
funding priorities. Period. I believe we are now at a critical moment
and I request your help:
1. AHRC PEER REVIEW COLLEGE MEMBERS
I am a member of the AHRC Peer Review College. If you are also a
member, then please contact me ASAP by THURSDAY MORNING, 24th JUNE to
confirm whether you are willing to join me with many others and resign
on MONDAY, 27th JUNE if no action is taken on amending the AHRC
Delivery Plan. I will offer a press release later this week.
Resignation is surely a last resort, but I believe that all avenues
have been explored without success. While I hope we need not act on
our threat, it is clear that we must now come together and show the
strength of our support for our principled position. I hope all AHRC
Peer Review College members will accept this call -- and please
circulate this message to anyone on the College.
2. NON-MEMBERS
Please write to the AHRC and voice your continued support for our
campaign. The AHRC appears to believe our opposition is fading: in
fact, it is growing and recent publicity in the Guardian confirms
this. Contact information includes the AHRC CEO Professor Rick Rylance
([log in to unmask]) and AHRC Chairman Professor Sir Alan Wilson
([log in to unmask]).
3. FOR EVERYONE
Please write to David Willetts and voice your support. You might use
the following template:
[log in to unmask]
Dear Rt Hon Willetts,
I want to share my support for the campaign to remove the "Big
Society" from the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Delivery
Plan. This is a position of principle, not politics: political
campaign slogans should have no place in research council delivery
plans. This position is endorsed by over 4,000 academics and 30+
learned societies as well as the UCU. Petitions (see
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/thebigsociety/) have drawn support
from across disciplines and political divides. Please communicate to
the AHRC the importance of taking action and removing this campaign
slogan immediately.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
I believe that the momentum is on our side and positive action likely,
but only if we act together and we act fast. I hope I can look forward
to your support one last time. We are very close to achieving our goal
and defending an important principle.
Warmest wishes,
Thom
--------------
Dr Thom Brooks
Reader in Political and Legal Philosophy
Member, AHRC Peer Review College
Department of Politics
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)191 222 5288
Website: http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/t.brooks/
Journal of Moral Philosophy: http://www.brill.nl/jmp
The Brooks Blog: http://the-brooks-blog.blogspot.com
--
Umberto Albarella
Department of Archaeology
University of Sheffield
Northgate House
West Street
Sheffield S1 4ET
United Kingdom
Telephone: (+) 44 (0) 114 22 22 943
Fax: (+) 44 (0) 114 27 22 563
http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/albarella.html
For Zooarchaeology short course see:
http://shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/zooarchaeology/short-course.html
For Archaeologists for Global Justice (AGJ) see:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/global-justice.html
"only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned
and the last fish been caught we will realise we cannot eat money"
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