Dear Michael (and all)
I suggest you try going to the web site of the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/ <http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/>
When I do that I see
"[**ANNOUNCEMENT: On 26 April 2010, the management of Middlesex University decided to close down its Philosophy programmes. Information about the closure and the campaign to reverse it is available at http://savemdxphil.wordpress.com. Middlesex Philosophy students have set up a Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119102561449990> page and a petition.<http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-middlesex-philosophy.html>"
And am able to go from there to the petition by clicking on petition.<http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-middlesex-philosophy.html>
I hope that works
David
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gopfert, Michael
Sent: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 4:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: silencing of critical voices
Sorry, David, cannot open petition link ('outlook has disabled this link for security reasons'). Any advice?
Michael
Michael Göpfert,
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Skype: Michael.g1947
Work 44-151-7246872
________________________________
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fryer [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 04 May 2010 23:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] silencing of critical voices
I am forwarding a messages from Peter Hallward about the imminent demise of the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy which has been running an MA programme in Philosophy and Contemporary Critical Theory which "combines study of the two main traditions of Critical Theory (the Frankfurt School and French anti-humanism) and their background in Kant and post-Kantian European philosophy, with a focus on work by thinkers who have become influential only in the last two decades: Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, Judith Butler, Antonio Negri, Jacques Rancière, Slavoj Zizek, among others" (from CRMEP website). The closure would mean the loss of a major UK and international centre for support of critical thinking. As you will see if you read down it is being argued that there is not financial or academic logic to the decision.
Apart from considering Peter's request to write a letter (template offered below) you might like to consider signing the petition at:
http://www.gopetiti on.com/petitions /save-middlesex- philosophy/ signatures. html<http://www.gopetiti%20on.com/petitions%20/save-middlesex-%20philosophy/%20signatures.%20html>
and the centre homepage also informs about a means of registering concern via face book David
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]>
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ;
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Waqar Ahmad, [log in to unmask]<mailto:[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]
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]> <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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___________________________________
The Community Psychology List has a new website/blog at:
http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/
There is a threaded discussion forum:
http://www.communitypsychology.co.uk/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi
There is a twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/CommPsychUK
To post on the website blog, forum or twitter feed, contact Grant or David at the email addresses below.
David Fryer ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe or to change your details on this COMMUNITYPSYCHUK list, visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
