Save Middlesex Philosophy! Rally Thursday afternoon

Just time to post the text of a leaflet advertising a rally at the Hendon campus of Middlesex University on Thursday 27 May (today). Students and staff are campaigning to keep the highly regarded philosophy department open. I shall take the Barnet TUC banner - I hope to see some of you there!

save middlesex philosophy

Bullying managers at Middlesex University have suspended three philosophy staff and four philosophy students for the ‘crime’ of campaigning to save their own jobs and courses.

The Middlesex managers want to shut down the university’s world renowned philosophy centre. They say philosophy makes ‘no measurable contribution’ to their profits.

Students occupied the Mansion Building at Middlesex’s Trent Park campus for 12 days in protest at the closure decision. Management reacted by lashing out with suspensions against staff and students. They are threatening everyone involved in this peaceful protest.

We must not let them get away with trashing Middlesex’s academic reputation, shutting down successful departments and intimidating staff and students who stand up to them.

Come to our protest rally on Thursday 27 May, 4pm onwards, at Middlesex University’s Hendon campus, NW4 4BT.

Check http://www.savemdxphil.com/ for news and updates

They're just not having it! New occupation at Middlesex Uni

Students and staff at Middlesex University are refusing to accept the planned closure of the philosophy department. They left their occupation of the administration building at Trent Park last Saturday in some disarray, after the university obtained an injunction.

On Monday night Barnet trades council joined some of the students in a demonstration outside the Hendon campus and Hendon Town Hall. The students have been leafleting the university open days this week.

This evening I hear that around 50 students and staff have occupied the library at Trent Park. Some details here on their website.

Think what you like of occupation as a tactic, the campaigners' refusal to lie down and take what they regard as an unjustified hit certainly impresses me.

We are going to need more of that spirit in the months and years to come, when many services that people rely on will face the axe in the attempt to restore the national finances at our expense.

Another Barnet council AGM, another protest

The timing was a coincidence, but this evening I helped to organise a Save Middlesex Philosophy protest outside the Middlesex University Hendon campus on the same night as Barnet council AGM at Hendon Town Hall. We took our banners along there as well.

Middlesex University management, who have taken the short-sighted decision to close the university's very successful philosophy department, are part of the Local Strategic Partnership with Barnet council. There are some tensions with Middlesex University expanding its operations at Hendon; these can only increase if the university follows through on its plans to close the Trent Park campus (chasing those property speculation bucks) and move all courses to Hendon.

Does Barnet want to host a university that is solely focused on business and management students, packed in and taught as cheaply as possible, or can we see some value in having a balanced university that is as famed for its arts subjects as business, economics, etc? We are lucky to have a university in Barnet. Let's have one we can all be proud of. The Save Middlesex Philosophy campaign website is here - find out more and lend your support.

Last year, at this time, we were organising a Save Sheltered Housing Wardens demonstration outside Hendon Town Hall. I think, on balance, that protest caused the police more headaches than this evening's! Barnet sheltered housing features in tonight's (rescheduled) Panorama programme. (I'll have to watch it tomorrow on the internet as I'm finishing some work now.)

Pics from tonight's protest above. The man in the second picture is Middlesex University Vice-Chancellor Michael Driscoll. In the third picture, you can just see Barnet's chief exec Nick Walkley, coming out to check that we aren't about to storm the Town Hall and upset the mayor's canapes!