italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear list members
I can now report that in addition to our campaign blog -
www.modernlanguagesatswansea.wordpress.com <https://email.swan.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.modernlanguagesatswansea.wordpress.com> -
we have launched an on-line petition -
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39117.html <https://email.swan.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39117.html> .
Please visit both these addresses and make your presence known and felt.
Please also continue writing your letters of protest to our Vice-Chancellor Prof. Richard B Davies ( [log in to unmask] ) , and our Registrar Mr Raymond Ciborowski ( [log in to unmask] ) , copying also to [log in to unmask] .
Many thanks for the support list members have already given us, from all 22 colleagues in Modern Languages (including 2 of us in Italian) at Swansea University threatened with redundancy.
For further information if you are not yet aware of this situation follow the links above and / or scroll down to read an appeal from George Ferzoco and a letter from our Head of Department (herself one of the 22) Dr Brigid Haines.
with our best wishes,
jms
Jonathan Smith MA DPhil
Department of Modern Languages (Italian)
School of Arts & Humanities
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea SA2 8PP - UK
________________________________
From: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies on behalf of Smith J.M.
Sent: Mon 13/09/2010 13:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [I-S] Modern Languages (and Italian) at Swansea / NEW CAMPAIGN BLOG
italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear list members
We are now able to update you on the campaign (announced to this list by George Ferzoco on 25 August this year) to save 22 academic jobs in Modern Languages, including 2 in Italian, at Swansea University, Wales UK.
The University in its meetings with the University and College Union has up to now maintained its intention of 'deleting' all 22 posts. 'New' ones are to be 'created', to which 10 of our 20 colleagues in French, German, and Spanish are to be re-appointed (although no such prospect of re-appointment being extended to those of us in Italian). All this is to happen within the coming academic year, and the 'new' department to be up and running for 2011/12.
Since George first wrote to you about these proposals, we have ourselves been planning a campaign which we intend to continue through the autumn, in the local, regional and national media, with local, regional and national politicians, and by urging the university community world-wide as well as our students and their families to support us.
We hope that you too will continue supporting us.
My Italianist colleague Dr Jane Dunnett and I, together with our 20 colleagues in other languages, would like to thank those of you who have written to our University management to protest about its plans, for your support and solidarity. At the same time, we again invite those of you who have not done this to do so now: George's original appeal, and the accompanying letter from our Head of Department Dr Brigid Haines, are again copied at the foot of this message. These include a fuller description of the situation here at Swansea, and contact details including email addresses for the senior management figures to whom we would like you to write (with a copy to our campaign HQ [log in to unmask] ).
We have now launched a CAMPAIGN BLOG at http://modernlanguagesatswansea.wordpress.com/ <https://email.swan.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://modernlanguagesatswansea.wordpress.com/> , which we invite you to visit for further information and a selection of links including press coverage to date, and comment from the University management; we shall shortly also be launching a petition website where we shall be inviting you to make your presence known and felt.
We thank you once again for your support up to now, and we shall inform you in due course of the progress of our campaign.
With our best wishes,
jms
Jonathan Smith MA DPhil
Department of Modern Languages (Italian)
School of Arts & Humanities
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea SA2 8PP - UK
________________________________
From: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies on behalf of George FERZOCO
Sent: Wed 25/08/2010 16:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [I-S] Modern Languages (and Italian) at Swansea
italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear italian-studies colleagues,
The following letter has been distributed by Brigid Haines (Head of
Modern Languages Department, Swansea University). The situation is
not good, especially in regard to Italian. I hope you will act as per
the request of Dr Haines.
George
--
George FERZOCO
[log in to unmask]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Colleague,
Imminent threat of compulsory redundancies in Modern Languages
Department, Swansea University
I am writing about a matter of urgent concern. All 22 academic staff
in the Modern Languages Department of Swansea University received a
letter on Friday 6 August informing us that our jobs are now 'at
risk' and that we must reapply for a reduced number of posts. We
believe that these proposals seriously endanger modern language
provision at Swansea, and we are asking for your support in opposing
them.
Management proposals specify 10 new academic staff FTE posts in the
reconstituted Department, broken down as follows:
· 4 in French (reduced from 6)
· 3.5 in German (reduced from 7)
· 2.5 in Spanish (reduced from 5 full-time and 2 part-time
staff).
The 10 new FTE posts will include 2 new Welsh-medium posts to be
advertised shortly, which means that the current 22 staff are
effectively competing for 8 posts. The two posts currently occupied
by full-time lecturers in Italian will be 'deleted', the assumption
being that Joint Honours Italian 'could be offered in future by
language tutors alone'. While we have been assured that redeployment
will be used where possible, compulsory redundancies are inevitable,
especially as, at a meeting with senior management on 10 August, it
was explicitly stated that the main reason for the restructuring
exercise is to save money.
Swansea Modern Languages Department is the leading third-level
language provider in Wales and has an outstanding reputation for
undergraduate teaching, postgraduate teaching, and research. In RAE
2008, Modern Languages at Swansea was ranked first in Wales in terms
of research power. In the latest National Student Survey French,
German and Hispanic Studies at Swansea each scored over 90% for
overall student satisfaction, earning the accolade 'Top Performing
Subjects' in Swansea University publicity. Modern Languages staff
contribute extensively to the highly successful MA in Translation
with Language Technology. The Department is particularly proud of its
Welsh-medium provision, which is supported by the Welsh Assembly, and
its contribution to the University's internationalisation agenda.
Over the course of the last year we have lost staff who taught
Russian, Portuguese and Catalan, for financial reasons; we have also
just lost our Austrian language tutor. The current proposals will
quite simply devastate the Department, leaving it unable to fulfil
its core functions adequately. They will severely damage the
provision of language degrees in Wales . We are particularly
concerned that Italian degrees may yet be withdrawn as a result of
the lack of lecturing staff. Needless to say, we reject the concept
of compulsory redundancies absolutely.
We will be mounting a wider campaign in due course. For now, if you
share our concern I urge you to write a letter of protest (with a
copy to [log in to unmask] ) to:
Professor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Raymond Ciborowski
Registrar and Head of Administration
Swansea University
Singleton Park
Swansea
SA2 8PP
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
I hope that we can count on your support.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Brigid Haines
Head of Modern Languages, Swansea University
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