http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,745057,00.html
Birmingham's cultural studies department given the chop EducationGuardian.co.uk Polly Curtis Thursday June 27 2002 The Guardian
Students of sociology and cultural studies at the University of Birmingham found a computer typed notice tacked to the door of the department this morning: "This department has been cancelled. Nothing else matters," it read.
Birmingham University this morning confirmed that the department - known internationally as the birthplace of cultural studies - was indeed being restructured. Although not confirmed, it seems likely that 11 staff jobs will be lost, leaving an estimated 210 students unsure of where they will be doing their degrees in September.
Staff received letters on June 20 informing them that the department would close "in its present form".
Sociology would be assimilated into the social policy and social work department, while the media, culture and society programme (MCS) would be absorbed into the institute of applied social studies.
The letter explains that the restructuring is taking place "against a backdrop of the outcome of the 2001 research Assessment Exercise". The university planned to maximise the number of five and five star ratings in the next exercise. The department had scored a 3A.
Laura Topham who was expecting to go into her third year in the department in September, found the note this morning.
She said: "The department comes out top in the teaching score year after year. It was the first cultural studies department and you won't find a cultural studies book without a reference to us. This was the best course I thought I could do, and Birmingham is supposed to be reliable. But it seems they don't do enough research."
The department scored the maximum of 24 points in the teaching quality assessment last year. Degrees are highly popular with 600 applications last year for 40 places on the MCS course. Sociology is rated highest in the Guardian league tables every year they've been running.
continued at: http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,745057,00.html