Dear Ritchie,
Here is a short report.
We have three lecturers in total and a DAAD-Lektorin. Two of the colleagues are in their first
full-time academic post and were only appointed in 2006.
Usually we have around 25 students in first year (post-A-level and Beginners) on joint degree
pathways. No single honours. Our Beginners mostly drop away after first year leaving us
usually with a hard core of 15-18 students for each remaining year. Our small final year of 8
students this year is an exception to the rule.
So right now we have 65 students (this figure includes those on the year abroad). Most do
joint with French and are generally of an extremely high tarif. French therefore feel
considerably weakened by this move to discontinue German. We are very well integrated in
the School of Languages, Literatures and Performing Arts at both undergraduate and
postgraduate level. We teach an UG Brecht module together with Drama Studies and a
module on 20th Century German Cinema together with Film Studies. We contribute to the
School Research Methods module for MA students and in 2006 we introduced a School-wide
MA in Performance and Representation.
We have reinvigorated our German Studies MA in recent years and have been recruiting
from our own UG students. This year we had 2.5 students on the MA.
We also offer degree combinations outside our School, for example, the International
Management degree with languages and Science with Extended Studies in Europe. We offer
an optional module in German Language and Culture for students of Medicine, which
regularly attracts 10-12 students.
Our relationship with Northern Irish schools is excellent. We have had a rigorous recruitment
programme in place over the last ten years. Our activities include annual Debating
competitions for AS and A-level pupils (very popular with the schools), an annual A- and AS-
Level Day and school visits. We think these activities have contributed to our student
numbers holding up over the last 10 years while numbers studying German in schools has
gone down.
Our performance in the RAE was admittedly disappointing. We have, however, clearly moved
up a gear since the RAE deadline and have secured considerable external research funding:
an AHRC/DFG grant (collaboration with the University of Freiburg) worth £90,000 in total
(£60,000 of which for Queen's) and British Academy small grants worth £10,500 in total. We
hosted one international conference last year and more are planned.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Dave
On 15 Jun 2009 at 15:47, Ritchie Robertson wrote:
Dear David,
I think many colleagues would be willing to write to the VC in defence
of German at QUB, and, so that we don't rely solely on anecdotal
evidence or chance contacts, it would help if you could provide a short
document making clear the health of the department, recruitment figures
and prospects, relations with schools where German is taught (and
possible impact of closure on their teaching), and ways in which German
is integrated with allied subjects in your School. The removal of one
language from a School will weaken the School as a whole. It's also
worth stressing your department's research record.
I'm very grateful for Frank Finlay's original email, and hope he will
continue to monitor the situation nationally.
May I also draw colleagues' attention to the British Academy's recent
report 'Language Matters', available via http://www.britac.ac.uk/ ?
Best wishes
Ritchie Robertson
David Robb wrote:
> Thanks Gisela!
> We're mounting a campaign and any support (e.g. letters to the VC) would be greatly
> appreciated. We've already gathered considerable support from the grammar school
> teachers here in Northern Ireland and of course from our own students.
> We'll keep you all posted on developments.
> Dave
>
> Dr. David Robb
> Head of German Studies
> School of Languages, Literatures and Performing Arts
> Queen's University of Belfast
> Belfast BT7 1NN
> Tel. 028 90973341
>
Dr. David Robb
Head of German Studies
School of Languages, Literatures and Performing Arts
Queen's University of Belfast
Belfast BT7 1NN
Tel. 028 90973341
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