KCL and Jan Palmowski

A new report over at Leiter Reports provides further details concerning the leaked document about restructuring at King's College London. The author of the document in question has been revealed here to be no other than Professor Jan Palmowski, head of the school of humanities whose academic work has concentrated primarily on questions of identity, especially in German history. Palmowski's management methods are detailed in the posting over at Leiter Reports and seem a model for ensuring division, resentment and anger. 


Earlier this week Radio 4's Today programme featured a discussion on one of the results of Palmowski's report, namely, that the only existing United Kingdom Chair in Palaeography be axed and can still be listened to here. The defender of the chair is from the British Museum whilst the one apparently happy to defend this vandalism is from the Institute of Directors!

KCL Restructuring Plan Revealed

The full plan from KCL has been leaked. The plan makes clear that a total of 22 full-time equivalent posts in Arts and Humanities are at risk and that "all academic roles" within the School are at risk of redundancy. To have any chance of saving their jobs all members of staff will need to submit a detailed summary of their own role and performance. The plan also makes clear that the following have already been determined: loss of 3 posts as American Studies is closed, Linguistics will be closed with the loss of 4 posts, Paleography will cease as an activity with loss of 1 post, Philosophy will lose 2 posts as Computational Linguistics as an area of philosophy is discontinued, 1 post will be lost in Classics. 


In addition to these positions another 11 are planned for dismissal with the process mentioned above determining who they will be. All staff selected for redundancy will be dismissed by 31st August 2012. Bizarrely, in this blizzard of cuts the strategic plan outlines continuing and increasing investment for the following areas of study: Creativity; Global Politics, Culture and Identity; Digital and Visual Cultures. The plan is like a wreckers' charter and it is to be hoped that wide distribution of it amongst those campaigning against these changes will follow.

KCL Up-Dates

Since it came to light recently that King's College London is planning to forcibly retire and sack professors of philosophy a campaign protesting these decisions has built up. Students and friends of the Dept. have established a website that includes an open letter that you can go to and sign. There is an additional separate letter available on-line that is also open to signature. Meanwhile, not content with this attack on philosophy, the management of KCL have also decided not to renew the post of Chair in Palaeography there, which was, until recently, the only such position in the UK. To protest against this further act of vandalism see and please sign the petition against this. The combination of these two attacks demonstrate clearly how committed the management of KCL are to maintaining a world-class research base in the UK.

Bad News At King's College London

The axe appears to be falling at the Philosophy Department at King's College London. The general reports emerging from both staff and students there are for sackings of staff members including full professors and students have already established a Facebook group to protest. Click on the headline of this posting for re-direction to Leiter Reports who has more information on the situation.