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Steve,
 
Yes, thanks for that. I think it's ancient history to now say that Nick approached UWE - for my sins the institution where I work but feel little belonging - to see if they would host the Sophia Centre when Bath Spa said that they no longer wanted it. It made good sense, just 10 miles or so away from Bath Spa with a burgeoning community of scholars interested in spirituality/esotericism. I was very keen for us to take it on but, how shall I put it, the University were not and made this clear fairly quickly. I've no idea what Nick did next but, I think, Exeter would have been a good bet given the MA in Western Esotericism there. I'll approach him about doing a short piece on the Centre for the journal and if he agrees it would be great if Steve and/or Jane could write a few words too.
 
Dave
 
      

	-----Original Message-----
	From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of DAVE EVANS
	Sent: 13 June 2006 19:31
	To: [log in to unmask]
	Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Sophia Centre
	
	
	excellent, this is just the kind of 'student success story... despite...' angle i thought should be part of the JSM news article
	 
	dave e
	 
	 
	----- Original Message ----- 
	From: stevejudd <mailto:[log in to unmask]>  
	To: [log in to unmask] 
	Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 10:02 AM
	Subject: **SPAM: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Sophia Centre


	 

	 

	Much has been said about the closing of the Sophia Centre, both on this journal and in others.  What seems to be neglected is the positives that have come out of this.  As a graduate of the Sophia Centre I can testify to the spirit amongst most of the current alumni.  There are already sixteen MA’s in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology as a result of this project, with another seven or eight graduating this summer.  There are currently four PhD’s ongoing, with another (mine) in the pipeline.  The ethos generated during the last four years has permeated the academy to the extent that although Bath Spa has ‘pulled the plug’, there are other UK universities where the Sophia project continues to have influence.

	 

	The official reasons given for the closure are financial, yet I know through talking to other MA students at Bath Spa that the Sophia Centre has more applicants for its MA than all the other MA courses bar one put together.  Many of the alumni and current students, myself included, are of the opinion that a combination of university peer pressure, ridicule and academic chauvinism is really at the root of the closure, but this is only unsubstantiated opinion.

	 

	On behalf of the vast majority of the Sophia Centre, I’d like to record the thanks of the cosmological community for the work done on our behalf by Michael York, Nicholas Campion, Patrick Curry and Alice Ekrek.

	 

	Nil desperadum illegitimus carborundum

	 

	Steve Judd

	 

	 

	
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