Gloucestershire Uni: save biblical studies letter

Mark Goodacre has some of the main links on the planned redundancy in the Biblical Studies Department at the University of Gloucestershire. The Facebook page is here.

This does not seem to be quite the same situation as that at Sheffield, where the whole undergraduate teaching of Biblical Studies was targeted. I am, however, concerned that as a subject that is generally regarded as economically non-productive, a disproportionate slice of biblical studies is being cut to deal with a situation that looks as if it was caused by poor financial planning and management.

It took me rather longer to consider whether this situation either merits the kind of campaign Sheffield saw, but I feel there is some benefit in adding my voice in favour of different and better solutions.

The people to write to are deputy Vice Chancellor Paul Bowler (pbowler@glos.ac.uk) and Vice Chancellor Patricia Broadfoot (vc@glos.ac.uk). This is what I wrote.

Dear Mr Bowler,

I am disappointed to hear that the University of Gloucestershire is making redundancies in its highly respected Biblical Studies department. Only last month the University of Sheffield puled back from an even more drastic set of cuts to a more co-operative and creative approach to the future when it became aware how valued the work of its Biblical Studies department was. I write in the hope of persuading you to follow the same course.

I have a certain interest in the future of the department. As a university you validate the training of clergy and lay preachers through WEMTC, and admit those training for these ministries in Gloucester and Hereford to a foundation degree. As the person responsible for running the training course for lay preachers in Worcestershire, your University would be one of the options for us to consider making a similar link with. Your Biblical Studies department has now overtaken Birmingham (one of our other principal options) which makes you a more attractive proposition unless you follow through your plans to decimate the department.

For myself, I have in the past been taught by Professor Andrew Lincoln, and certainly have your University on my short-list for a further part-time research degree.

As a new University you have very few departments with an international reputation. The Biblical Studies section of your Humanities department is certainly one of them. I daresay there may be others, but I have not heard of them.

Can I urge you to reconsider what looks like a short-sighted (lack of) strategy born out of financial problems, and, at the very least, initiate an evaluation of a future strategy that collaborates with and fully consults the department on drawing up a more creative plan for the future that will not injure your long-term viability or reputation.

Yours sincerely

Tagged as: biblical studies, Gloucester Uni