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UK higher education watch: Exeter threatening to cut 150 academic staff

So reports the BBC. I reached out to the well-known philosopher of science and biology, John Dupre, at Exter, who tells me he has received a possible redundancy notice, although he is already 80% retired. He adds:

I expect I’ll go quietly to relieve the pressure slightly on people who need their jobs. I’m certainly bothered that the philosophy department that I spent 25 years building and the research centre which has a fair case for being the best anywhere for philosophy of biology will be quietly trashed on the basis that philosophers are useless and we need more computer programmers. But such are the joys of ideology…

In a follow-up message, Professor Dupre tells me that some 600 staff have voted no-confidence in the Exeter Vice-Chancellor and staff are now voting on a strike ballot.

Comments are open for those with more information, including links.

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One response to “UK higher education watch: Exeter threatening to cut 150 academic staff”

  1. There will be many, many human tragedies to result from this senseless decision by our senior management. But what a shame for a career as distinguished as John’s to end in circumstances like these. All of us who have worked with John at Exeter and Egenis owe him an incalculable debt; he is obviously an outstanding philosopher, but he has been, to so many, an outstanding colleague, mentor, and friend.

    I’ll leave it to others to give a full picture of what’s happening. Two links, though:

    – important context regarding the financial situation and wage bill at the University of Exeter, from one of our departmental colleagues; https://www.linkedin.com/posts/john-heathershaw-b84a8b238_the-university-of-exeter-plans-to-cut-near-share-7475835285315067904-njTK/

    – a union-organised petition, which we would greatly appreciate being signed and circulated as widely as possible; https://www.change.org/p/stop-redundancies-at-the-university-of-exeter-706befbf-8195-4b87-a96c-13666e695878

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