Committed to fighting for Higher Education and Committed to Protecting our Members’ Livelihoods Dear Members, As a matter of urgency we urge you to read the letter of support (reproduced below) from a Nationwide group of Experts in support of the Branch campaign to save MFL. You will remember earlier this year an Independent External Expert (jointly agreed by ourselves and the Employer) concluded that he supported UCUs argument to save Modern Foreign Languages. Some innovative changes were suggested. Without prior consultation with the Branch President and the MFL Group the Employer announced the end of MFL Courses and announced this to the University. OUR DISPUTE WITH THE EMPLOYER WILL CONTINUE UNTIL OUR COLLECTIVE MEMBERSHIP TELL US OTHERWISE. SUPPORT YOUR UNION, SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION, PROTECT OUR LIVELIHOODS! In Solidarity, UCU Salford Branch Officers and the Committee This letter was printed in THE last week: Prevent language death 31 July 2014 In June 2013, the University of Salford announced that it would close its modern languages department. Following the local University and College Union branch’s resolution to support colleagues through industrial action, the university suspended this decision and established an independently chaired review. The review’s report in February was positive, recommending retention of two-language programmes and appropriately designed joint degrees. In addition, it recommended that postgraduate courses in translating and interpreting should be retained in view of the quality and sustainability of this portfolio. Senior management at the university then instituted a second internal review without an independent chair or representation from languages staff. Staff were told that the final decision was based on this second financial review, although the university has refused to make the review’s details public, citing reasons of commercial confidentiality. The UCU believes that redundancies will follow, therefore we call upon the university to disclose the evidence and full reasons behind the decision. We remind Martin Hall, the vice-chancellor, that he gave assurances that the review took as its starting point the maintenance of modern languages at the university. We believe that the potential closure contradicts the university’s strategy of “commitment to the value of global citizenship and internationalisation”. Elizabeth Andersen Head, School of Modern Languages Newcastle University Mona Baker Professor of translational studies, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures University of Manchester Henk de Berg Department of Germanic studies University of Sheffield Professor Anthony Bushell Professor of modern languages Bangor University Professor Sarah Colvin Schröder professor of German University of Cambridge Professor Mary Cosgrove Professor of German studies University of Warwick (from January 2015) Professor Peter Davies Professor of modern German studies University of Edinburgh Dr Wini Davies Reader in German University of Aberystwyth Dr Lucile Desblache Reader, director of the Centre for Research in Translation and Transcultural Studies University of Roehampton Dr Jorge Diaz-Cintas Centre for Translation Studies University College London Professor James Dickins Professor of Arabic, deputy head of school, School of Modern Languages and Cultures University of Leeds Professor Said Faiq Professor of translation and intercultural studies American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Dr Federico Federici Senior lecturer, School of Modern Languages and Cultures Durham University Professor Allyson Fiddler Department of European languages and cultures Lancaster University Professor Steve Giles Emeritus professor of German studies and critical theory University of Nottingham Professor Claire Griffiths Head of modern languages University of Chester Dr Terry Hale School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures University of Hull Professor Theo Hermans Professor of Dutch and comparative literature University College London Professor Amanda Hopkinson Visiting professor, School of Arts and Social Sciences City University London Professor David Johnston Professor of Hispanic studies, School of Modern Languages Queen’s University Belfast Dr Francis Jones Reader in translation studies, head of translation and interpreting Newcastle University Professor Susanne Kord Professor of German University College London Professor Duncan Large Academic director of the British Centre for Literary Translation University of East Anglia Professor Kirsten Malmkjaer Head of the Research Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies University of Leicester Professor Jeremy Munday Professor of translation studies University of Leeds Professor Bill Niven Professor in contemporary German history Nottingham Trent University Professor Stephen Parker Simon chair for German studies University of Manchester Dr Loredana Polezzi Department of Italian University of Warwick Professor Julian Preece Professor of German Swansea University Professor Anthony Pym President of the European Society for Translation Studies Professor Ritchie Robertson Professor of German University of Oxford Professor Margaret Rogers Emeritus professor University of Surrey Professor Eve Rosenhaft Professor of German historical studies University of Liverpool Professor Myriam Salama-Carr Professor of translation studies University of Salford Professor Christina Schäffner Head of translation studies, School of Languages and Social Sciences Aston University Professor Ricarda Schmidt Professor in German University of Exeter Professor Abdullah Shunnaq Director of Languages Center Yarmouk University, Jordan Professor Graham Turner Director of research, School of Management and Languages Heriot-Watt University Professor Robert Vilain Head of school, School of Modern Languages University of Bristol Professor Janet Watson Leadership chair for language at Leeds, School of Modern Languages and Cultures University of Leeds Professor Dan Wilson Professor of German Royal Holloway, University of London
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:01:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015