Post-RAE, Uni to close centre

Warwick University is likely to see the closure of the Centre for Translation and Comparative Cultural Studies (CTCCS) this summer, following the centre’s failure to secure funding from the government in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

A formal procedure is underway, which will be completed in July, following the Pro Vice-Chancellor Richard Higgott’s recommendation that the centre should be closed.

The Boar understands that it is likely the closure will take place, as CTCCS has been stopped from recruiting for the next academic year.

Staff and students at CTCCS have both voiced anxiety over the proposed closure. If the centre does close, students will be transferred to other departments, but staff members face the possibility of redundancy.

PhD students at the centre have begun a forceful campaign against the closure. They are upset with the manner in which the University has handled the situation, arguing concrete information was originally hard to obtain, and consultation minimal.

They also argue that Professor Higgott’s findings on the research quality of CTCCS are not equatable with other internal reviews or University promotional materials. They stress the detrimental effect the uncertain future of CTCCS is having on students academically, with a total closure likely to cause a significant negative impact.

Giorgia Carta, a PhD student at the centre, said, “We don’t want a degree from a department that’s closed… We’re worried and anxious.”

Yotam Benshalom, a fellow PhD student, emphasised the effect on students’ academic work. He said, “Changing supervisor can mean starting to write a PhD all over again, it’s a major issue.”

Joseph Jackson stressed the “loss of community” the students would suffer if the centre was forced to close.

An extraordinary meeting of the Arts Faculty Board was convened April 1st to discuss the issue. It noted the recommendation for closure, but made no final decision on the future of the Centre.

The CTCCS students said, “While we are happy that the Centre was not closed at this particular meeting, we are awaiting any kind of communication from the University with respect to consultation. We suspect this wait will go on ad infinitum.

“If the University persists in ignoring the concerns of the students we are planning to seek stronger representation, if necessary through the Union and the NUS.”

The students stressed their opposition was personal, “We just want our voices to be listened to, and our concerns addressed over these very worrying developments which affect our studies, our careers and our lives.”

Mohammed Surve, Education Officer for the Students’ Union, said “The ideal solution in the eyes of the Students’ Union would be to see as little disruption as possible to students in CTCCS. We have worked closely with PhD students in CTCCS to present the student view through the relevant channels in the university. We will continue to emphasise our opposition to the closure of the Centre and the potential impact any reconfiguration of CTCCS may have on students.”

Meanwhile, academics have also stressed their opposition, although they have been advised to avoid discussing the closure with both the media and their own postgraduate students.

Dr Piotr Kuhiwczak, an Associate Professor at the centre, stressed that CTCCS is a leading centre for Translation studies, and “the news of the intended closure has caused a massive protest from the international community in the field of translation studies.”

He added, “My view is that the root of the conflict is personal. It is an issue of leadership and what one calls ‘people skills’. The crisis could have been avoided because none of the issues presented now as ‘problems’ have been unique to CTCCS.”

Ken Flint, chair of the Warwick branch of the UCU (University and College Union), said, “UCU is always anxious to retain jobs and is always opposed to any compulsory redundancies. We understand that the Centre has always had high praise for its teaching activities and to close such a prestigious and successful Centre on the basis of the RAE alone sends the wrong message to existing and prospective students about the University’s views on teaching activities.

“It cannot be denied that the Centre was unsuccessful at acquiring research money and this seems to be the main reason for its closure. We are urging the University to take all steps possible to make sure that the academic staff affected are redeployed in other Departments and that their obvious skills as teachers are not lost to the University.”

Many Universities have faced cuts to their research funding this year. Warwick University was relatively successful with an overall increase of 3.9 per cent whilst universities like LSE actually lost funding.

Universities across the United Kingdom have seen funding for arts and social science departments slashed as sciences were prioritised by HEFCE. The University of Liverpool has announced it is likely to close its politics, philosophy and probability departments as a result. CTCCS falls under the English department’s jurisdiction.