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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Jacobus" <[log in to unmask]> To: "medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: 02 February 2010 11:50 Subject: Re: [M-R] King's College & palaeography & more > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > It's a good letter, and I concur with George- except in his resignation at > the feebleness of the unions. UCU is gaining teeth, and although people > will have different and doubtless strong views on how it is choosing to > use them (which it is not the role of this list to host), it can still > stump up a lawyer if you are faced with redundancy. So, strictly in the > spirit of medieval confraternity, here's the link http://www.ucu.org.uk/ > > > Laura > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "George FERZOCO" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: 01 February 2010 22:06 > Subject: [M-R] King's College & palaeography & more > > >> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture >> >> Dear medieval-religion colleagues, >> >> Following earlier messages to the list in regard to the situation at >> King's College in relation to the teaching of palaeography there, I >> thought I should forward this letter, written by the officers of the >> Medieval Academy of America, for your consideration. >> >> I urge you not to think, 'Oh, the Medieval Academy has written, so I >> don't have to bother.' It goes far deeper than that. The higher >> education sector in the United Kingdom, after about twenty years of >> financial and intellectual erosion, is reaching a state of crisis. >> Indeed, today alone, the U.K. government has announced cuts to spending >> on universities amounting to close to a billion dollars. >> >> These cuts have several powerfully negative effects. >> >> One is that administrators, in trying to justify and keep their own >> jobs, are looking either to frighten or otherwise to dismiss academics >> in significant numbers such that a considerable number of scholars will >> no longer be employed by universities, resulting in a diminished >> financial burden on the system. They would rather do this than argue >> against the government hacks who are cutting university funding. >> >> These administrators, in order to effect the latest government cuts, are >> relying on a general feeling of powerlessness among academic staff -- >> staff whose work must be vetted publicly for quality regularly (often by >> panels who have little sympathy for the subject areas under >> examination); staff who must routinely fill in time sheets that describe >> how they spent their week doing what; staff who know that unions in >> post-Thatcher Britain are feeble, at best. One way they 'save money' is >> to rid their institutions of people who work in disciplines less likely >> to attract money from public or private sources -- hence, the purge of >> palaeography at King's. >> >> All of this is particularly pertinent to medievalists. Why? Although the >> U.K. bursts with medievalia, its elected representatives have over >> recent years demonstrated a powerfully negative attitude toward medieval >> studies. There are several examples that come to mind, but let this one >> suffice: that of Charles Clarke, a minister of education under Tony >> Blair, who publicly spoke of how medieval history is 'ornamental' and a >> waste of public money, and called for public money to be spent on higher >> education only where the subjects are of 'clear usefulness'. >> >> Don't believe me? Read: >> >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/may/09/highereducation.politics >> >> This attitude is very much alive and well among those seeking to curry >> the favour of government officials and ministers. Example? A >> well-informed source tells me that a major U.K. university has decided >> that the way it will save money in its history department is to get rid >> of three scholars -- the only three scholars in the department who work >> on the pre-1800 period. >> >> Do not be lulled into thinking that this is someone else's problem. It's >> a problem shared by all of us (remember John Donne!). Write the people >> at King's, please. >> >> George >> >> -- >> George FERZOCO >> [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: The Medieval Academy of America <[log in to unmask]> >>> Date: 1 February 2010 20:52:49 GMT >>> Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> The Medieval Academy of America >>> >>> E-mail Distribution List >>> 31 January 2010 >>> >>> 31 January 2010 >>> >>> >>> Professor Rick Trainor. The Principal >>> King's College >>> The Strand, London WC2R 2LS >>> United Kingdom >>> [log in to unmask] >>> >>> Professor Jan Palmowski, Head >>> School of Arts and Humanities >>> King's College >>> The Strand, London WC2R 2LS >>> United Kingdom >>> [log in to unmask] >>> >>> >>> Dear Profs. Trainor and Palmowski: >>> >>> We write to you as elected officers of the Medieval Academy of America, >>> the major association of medievalists in North America, with some 4000 >>> members, to express our deep concern about the reported plan to >>> eliminate the position of Professor of Palaeography at King's College >>> London. >>> >>> Most of us are, ourselves, members of educational institutions; and we >>> include among our number, deans, former deans, directors, and even >>> presidents of colleges and universities. We are therefore fully aware >>> of the pressures you are facing at this moment of financial difficulty. >>> Indeed, we are in principle reluctant to meddle in internal matters of >>> independent institutions. But, we believe that the King's College plan >>> is not simply an intramural decision but one with broad consequences; >>> and so we are motivated to ask you to reconsider it. >>> >>> As you already know, King's College has had a long history of >>> distinguished teaching and research in medieval subjects, up to this >>> very moment, including the threatened chair's incumbent, Professor >>> David Ganz, an eminent historian and philologist. What we want to >>> underscore, therefore, is not only our concern about the diminishing of >>> that legacy, but also the importance more generally of the subject of >>> palaeography itself The study and interpretation of ancient >>> handwriting is, of course, important in its own right; but it is also >>> fundamental to many other medieval and early modern disciplines that >>> depend on the accurate deciphering of manuscript documents and their >>> proper understanding. Training in palaeographic methods, moreover, >>> teaches complex heuristic techniques more generally and is valuable, >>> therefore, to anyone interested in hermeneutical processes. >>> >>> Decisions like that of King's College have been made in many >>> universities for several generations, so you would not be the first. >>> But we are now near the bottom and, in the English-speaking world, more >>> or less, reaching it. That is why the officers of the Medieval Academy >>> of America are so concerned. Perhaps there is even some practical way >>> that the Academy might, in the future, help you preserve this valuable >>> tradition, for instance, by sponsoring joint seminars. In the >>> meantime, however, we urge you very strongly to reconsider the >>> decision. >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> >>> Herbert L. Kessler >>> President (Johns Hopkins University) >>> >>> Elizabeth Brown >>> First Vice-President (Brooklyn College) >>> >>> Alice-Mary Talbot >>> Second Vice-President (Dumbarton Oaks) >>> >>> Barbara Shailor >>> Treasurer (Yale University) >>> >>> Councilors >>> >>> Theodolina Barolini (Columbia University) >>> Rita Copeland (University of Pennsylvania) >>> Paul Dutton (Simon Fraser University) >>> David Klausner (University of Toronto) >>> Peggy McCracken (University of Michigan) >>> Elizabeth Sears (University of Michigan) >>> Danuta Shanzer (University of Illinois) >>> Carol Symes (University of Illinois) >>> Nancy L. Wicker (University of Mississippi) >> >> ********************************************************************** >> To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME >> to: [log in to unmask] >> To send a message to the list, address it to: >> [log in to unmask] >> To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion >> to: [log in to unmask] >> In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: >> [log in to unmask] >> For further information, visit our web site: >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html > > ********************************************************************** > To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME > to: [log in to unmask] > To send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] > To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion > to: [log in to unmask] > In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] > For further information, visit our web site: > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html > ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html