<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Olá a todos:<div><br></div><div>Acabei de saber da inacreditável decisão tomada pela Middlesex University, de Londres, de fechar em definitivo todos os seus programas de Filosofia, o que implica na prática o fim do excelente Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP; <http://<a href="http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/"><font color="#0020de" style="color: #0020de"><u>www.web.mdx.ac.uk/crmep/> </u></font></a>O assunto é ainda mais actual no contexto desta lista já que é nesse departamento que trabalha Éric Alliez, um dos convidados das nossas Unneeded Conversations <<a href="http://unneeded.virose.pt/oradores/oradores/ERIC-ALLIEZ/">http://unneeded.virose.pt/oradores/oradores/ERIC-ALLIEZ/</a>>. Por outro lado, e como poderão verificar pela carta que reenvio em baixo, é fácil perceber como esta é uma ameaça que se dirige a todas as universidades e a todas as áreas de ensino que não sejam consideradas 'lucrativas' -- lá como cá -- , sobretudo nestes tempos conturbados em que o discurso economicista e burocrático parece tomar conta até dos espíritos que julgávamos mais lúcidos. Aliás, em muitos casos (como parece acontecer aqui) tal discurso serve apenas para encontrar uma justificação que permita eliminar departamentos politicamente incómodos.</div><div><br></div><div>____________________</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">Earlier this afternoon all staff in the Arts and Education section of Middlesex University received the following email:</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); "> Dear colleagues,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">Late on Monday 26 April, the Dean of the School of Arts & Humanities, Ed Esche,<br>informed staff in Philosophy that the University executive had ‘accepted his<br>recommendation’ to close all Philosophy programmes: undergraduate, postgraduate and<br>MPhil/PhD.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">Philosophy is the highest research-rated subject in the University. Building on its<br>grade 5 rating in RAE2001, it was awarded a score of 2.8 on the new RAE scale in<br>2008, with 65% of its research activity judged ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally<br>excellent’. It is now widely recognised as one of the most important centres for the<br>study of modern European philosophy anywhere in the English-speaking world.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">The MA programmes in Philosophy at Middlesex have grown in recent years to become<br>the largest in the UK, with 42 new students admitted in September 2009.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">The Dean explained that the decision to terminate recruitment and close the<br>programmes was ’simply financial’, and based on the fact that the University<br>believes that it may be able to generate more revenue if it shifts its resources to<br>other subjects – from ‘Band D’ to ‘Band C’ students.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">As you may know, the University currently expects each academic unit to contribute<br>55% of its gross income to the central administration. As it stands (by the credit<br>count method of calculation), Philosophy and Religious Studies contributes 53%,<br>after the deduction of School admin costs. According to the figures for projected<br>recruitment from admissions (with Philosophy undergraduate applications up 118% for<br>2010-11), if programmes had remained open, the contribution from Philosophy and<br>Religious Studies would have risen to 59% (with Philosophy’s contribution,<br>considered on its own, at 53%).</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">In a meeting with Philosophy staff, the Dean acknowledged the excellent research<br>reputation of Philosophy at Middlesex, but said that it made no ‘measurable’<br>contribution to the University.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">Needless to say, we very much regret this decision to terminate Philosophy, and its<br>likely consequences for the School and our University and for the teaching of our<br>subject in the UK.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; "><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">· Professor Peter Hallward, Programme Leader for the MA programmes in<br>Philosophy,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">· Professor Peter Osborne, Director, Centre for Research in Modern European<br>Philosophy,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font face="Verdana" size="1" color="#464646" style="font: normal normal normal 9px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(70, 70, 70); ">· Dr. Stella Sandford, Director of Programmes, Philosophy</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: normal;">__________________</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Abraços</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgb(244, 245, 247); "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Miguel Leal</span></font></div></span></div></body></html>