28 April 2010
msex philosophy closure: more people and more damning facts with which to email them
[Via Professor Peter Hallward]
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 is being sent to Times Higher Education, below.
The four people to write to are as follows:
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Michael Driscoll, m.driscoll@mdx.ac.uk;
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Waqar Ahmad, w.ahmad@mdx.ac.uk;
Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Margaret House, m.house@mdx.ac.uk;
Dean of the School of Arts & Education, Ed Esche, e.esche@mdx.ac.uk.
(The full set of emails is m.driscoll@mdx.ac.uk; w.ahmad@mdx.ac.uk; m.house@mdx.ac.uk; e.esche@mdx.ac.uk).
If you are able to send such an email, it would be helpful if you blind copied (BCC) it to our campaign email, savemdxphil@gmail.com.
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Draft letter to Times Higher Education, regarding the closure of Philosophy at Middlesex University
The abrupt closure of the Philosophy programmes at Middlesex is a matter of national and indeed international concern. Not only does it contradict the stated commitment of Middlesex University to promote 'research excellence', it represents a startling and perhaps irreversible stage in the impoverishment of Philosophy provision in the UK.
We have participated in events organised by the Philosophy group at Middlesex and we can testify to the significant and distinctive contribution it makes to philosophy in the UK. Its set of MA programmes is currently the largest in the UK. Philosophy is the most prestigious and highest research-rated subject at Middlesex University. 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 and 13th out of a total of 41 institutions nationally, with 65% of its research activity judged world-leading or internationally excellent. It is now widely recognised as one of the most important centres for the study of modern European philosophy anywhere in the English-speaking world.
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 is also one of relatively few such programmes that remains financially viable, currently contributing close to half of its total income to the University's central administration.
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.
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 is being sent to Times Higher Education, below.
The four people to write to are as follows:
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Michael Driscoll, m.driscoll@mdx.ac.uk;
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Waqar Ahmad, w.ahmad@mdx.ac.uk;
Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Margaret House, m.house@mdx.ac.uk;
Dean of the School of Arts & Education, Ed Esche, e.esche@mdx.ac.uk.
(The full set of emails is m.driscoll@mdx.ac.uk; w.ahmad@mdx.ac.uk; m.house@mdx.ac.uk; e.esche@mdx.ac.uk).
If you are able to send such an email, it would be helpful if you blind copied (BCC) it to our campaign email, savemdxphil@gmail.com.
-------------------------------------------------------
Draft letter to Times Higher Education, regarding the closure of Philosophy at Middlesex University
The abrupt closure of the Philosophy programmes at Middlesex is a matter of national and indeed international concern. Not only does it contradict the stated commitment of Middlesex University to promote 'research excellence', it represents a startling and perhaps irreversible stage in the impoverishment of Philosophy provision in the UK.
We have participated in events organised by the Philosophy group at Middlesex and we can testify to the significant and distinctive contribution it makes to philosophy in the UK. Its set of MA programmes is currently the largest in the UK. Philosophy is the most prestigious and highest research-rated subject at Middlesex University. 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 and 13th out of a total of 41 institutions nationally, with 65% of its research activity judged world-leading or internationally excellent. It is now widely recognised as one of the most important centres for the study of modern European philosophy anywhere in the English-speaking world.
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 is also one of relatively few such programmes that remains financially viable, currently contributing close to half of its total income to the University's central administration.
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.
