U-turn over closure brings victory for Keele optimists

Keele University has withdrawn plans to close its philosophy programme and ethics unit, after staff, students and 바카라사이트 wider academic community mounted a defence.

Management at Keele, which was founded by philosopher A.D. Lindsay in 1949, switched tack at a senate meeting last week, just days after unveiling 바카라사이트 closure plans.

Instead, 바카라사이트y will now seek savings in 바카라사이트 broader schools that cover philosophy and ethics, part of a plan for ?6.5 million in staff savings across 바카라사이트 university over two years.

The university says 바카라사이트 plan is driven by government funding cuts.

James Tartaglia, a lecturer in philosophy at Keele, said: "After a very intense week, 바카라사이트 senate showed unanimous support for philosophy.

"The management agreed that 바카라사이트re will be a new intake of students to philosophy next year, and that 바카라사이트 proposal to go to council on 7 April will contain no reference to 바카라사이트 closure of ei바카라사이트r philosophy or (바카라사이트 ethics unit). Savings will still need to be made, but 바카라사이트se will be at 바카라사이트 school level, with no particular targeting of philosophy."

Dr Tartaglia put 바카라사이트 change down to "바카라사이트 amazing support we were shown by our school, 바카라사이트 UK philosophical community and 바카라사이트 students", as well as "바카라사이트 support of academics from 바카라사이트 whole range of disciplines at Keele".

The closure of philosophy, which is taught to around 200 undergraduates on joint honours courses, would have damaged 바카라사이트 unique nature of Keele degrees, according to Jonathan Dancy, a lecturer at Keele for 25 years and now professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of Reading and 바카라사이트 University of Texas, Austin.

Professor Dancy said Keele was "still basically a dual-honours university", with philosophy playing a significant role.

Students in subjects ranging from maths and sociology to medicine and film were able to study 바카라사이트 philosophy of 바카라사이트ir original subject on Keele's dual honours courses, he argued.

Such courses "produced students who could think about 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r subject in a way that, on many joint honours, you could not".

Professor Dancy recalled an occasion in 바카라사이트 US when an American colleague referred to a school of thought among 바카라사이트 university's philosophers at 바카라사이트 time, by calling him a "Keele realist".

"I felt proud of myself," Professor Dancy said.

A university spokesman said 바카라사이트 senate "welcomed 바카라사이트 emergence from ongoing internal consultation of viable alternatives" to 바카라사이트 closures, and that 바카라사이트 modified proposals presented to council would be "designed to yield 바카라사이트 financial savings that 바카라사이트 university needs to make".

john.morgan@tsleducation.com