Dear Board,

I am writing, as so many others, to urge you to use your power to reconsider the decision to close the philosophy department at your University.   As I wrote to your Dean, Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellors on the 29th April, I was trained in political theory and philosophy before moving into geography, and in my view Middlesex is one of the strongest philosophy departments in the country. This is certainly the case in the areas I worked in.   You have some terrific members of staff, including many of the best philosophers in the UK, and have trained and are clearly training the next generation. Philosophers across the world have studied in the department, spoken there or otherwise benefitted from its research excellence that would be entirely lost were this decision to go ahead.

I can see no basis for this policy of closure – it’s a successful department, providing high quality education and delivering excellence in research. It would seriously harm Middlesex’s reputation within the UK and the wider academic community.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this decision.

Yours sincerely

Stuart Elden

 Geography Department, Durham University

You can find details of how to help, who to write to, etc. here – http://savemdxphil.com/how-you-can-help/