Friday, December 08, 2006

Physics Press Release

PHYSICS STILL GETS THE AXE DESPITE STRONG OPPOSITION FROM STUDENTS AND STAFF

The controversial proposal to close Physics at Reading has been approved by the University Council. It comes with great disappointment to both students and lecturers, after weeks of strong campaigning. Huge support came locally, nationally and internationally, yet despite all this Reading is set to lose one of the most fundamental sciences in 2010.

Students and lecturers came together in solidarity both campaigning and voicing their concerns about the closure. Before the council meeting around 200 protesters marched through the university, and were addressed by several speakers including Sally Hunt, UCU joint secretary and Dave Lewis, RUSU President. Calls were made for a more detailed analysis of the department’s future, the implications of closure and the possibility of alternatives, these were pushed aside by Council, and the fate of Physics was sealed with 18 votes for the closure, 5 against and 1 abstention.

Dave Lewis, President and Ryan Bird, VP Education were at the lengthy meeting which was guarded by security. There was much discussion and support to keep Physics, yet the final decision was shadowed by lines from the corporate plan which included the need to invest into areas of excellence and to enhance the financial viability of the university, the Council decided not to keep Physics open on these grounds. With around 40% of Physics lectures attended by students outside physics, this closure will affect Maths, Meteorology, and Chemistry to name a few.



Dave Lewis, President said:

‘With Mechanical Engineering, Music, Sociology and now Physics all disappearing from the Reading portfolio in the past few years, people will be asking which subject is next.’

‘The University talk of their commitment to pure science, yet the closure of Physics does not echo this. With the loss of the Physics department goes lecturers, PhD students, laboratory equipment, collaboration with departments and choice for students.’

‘The financial position of the University dominated the discussion, whilst an important factor, wider issues seemed to be avoided including perception from the academic community, choice and demands of students, the Goverment agenda, the student experience and relationships with stakeholders'



Ryan Bird, VP Education added:

‘It comes with great frustration and disappointment that council voted for the closure, six months ago a review concluded that an important and strong, viable physics presence was in line with the corporate plan, yet since then physics has gone from important to only desirable. The only change is in the Universities finances, and that should not have been to the detriment of Physics’

‘To lose such a fundamental science in a research based institution, seems crazy, at a time when students are looking in more and more detail at universities, they will see a large gap in the science portfolio at Reading’

RUSU will be working closely with the university to ensure that the education of current Physics students is not disadvantaged by this decision, and that promises by senior management to keep a presence in physics at Reading including areas such as Nanoscience and Microscopy are followed up.

Ends

Notes to Editors

RUSU, independent from the University of Reading, represents the interests, diversity and needs of over 17,000 students. The Union is run for students by students, offering advice, services, support and welfare. They also run bars. The Students’ Union offers a variety of entertainments, events and campaigns for a diverse and demanding student population.

For more information contact: President, Dave Lewis d.c.lewis@rdg.ac.uk, 07973 503 401 or VP Education, Ryan Bird r.j.e.bird@rdg.ac.uk 07980 697 089



More info on the closure avaliable here





UCU Photos of the protest

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