AAPT Members American Association of Philosophy Teachers

The Hattiesburg American is reporting that operating cuts to make up a 15 million dollar shortfall this year will land particularly hard on Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi. From the article:

USM faculty, staff cuts begin

Philosophy and religion department hit hardest

Hit especially hard was the department of philosophy and religion, which saw three tenured professors let go. They are religion professor Daniel Capper and newly-tenured philosophy professors Morgan Rempel and Chris Meyers.

A follow up article this morning reprints the letter from the President announcing the cuts, but offers no real justification for the apparent targeting of Philosophy and Religion. The letter claims that:

29 USM Faculty cut today  read more »

Hampshire joins Austin College in the wise decision to be headed up by a Philosopher. Austin was recently ranked as one of the top colleges to work for, so I'm sure great things are in the cards for Hampshire!

Hampshire College picks acting president - BostonHerald.com

Marlene Gerber Fried, who also is director of the Civil Liberties and Public Policy program at Hampshire College, will serve until July 1, 2011, when a new president is expected to be appointed.

In all seriousness, beyond the possibly Platonic fantasies, I believe that Philosophers make excellent administrators. We tend to be sharply critical thinkers, excellent communicators, keen observers of social phenomena and a high degree of intolerance for bullshit.  All of these are excellent character traits for a college president.

From the Wall Street Journal:
Japan’s New TV Craze: Philosophers - Japan Real Time - WSJ

“I am astonished and delighted by the popularity of ‘Justice’ in Japan,” Prof. Sandel told JRT by email. “There seems to be a great yearning, in Japan as in the U.S., for public discussion of big ideas, especially about ethics and values.”

While Sandel is good at his delivery style, I'm always taken aback by the praise he gets in the press. It's not like there aren't thousands of us who do the same thing, day in and day out, at Small Liberal Arts colleges - albeit to a smaller crowd.  Maybe we can start using this meme to promote SLAC's to Japanese students: Like Michael Sandel? Enroll at any of the SLAC's in the US, and you'll meet 25 of him!

Three stories here in quick succession. The first announces the move:
Middlesex philosophy department moves to Kingston (From Enfield Independent)

MIDDLESEX philosophy department will move to Kingston University following a six-week campaign to stop it being shelved.

The second a follow-up:
Middlesex promises 'seamless transition' for philosophy school (From Enfield Independent)

MIDDLESEX University has promised the moving of its philosophy school to Kingston University next year will be a "seamless transition".

And the third - which is actually interesting - is a commentary from the Financial Times comparing those who cut university programs to Franco's fascists (really):

FT.com / Weekend Columnists / Harry Eyres - To cut or not to cut

No politician or bureaucrat in our time would dare to cry “death to intelligence” but closing down successful university philosophy departments, such as the one at Middlesex University currently facing the axe, amounts to pretty much the same thing.

 read more »

Interviews with students:
Suspended Middlesex philosophy students say they are being 'victimised' (From Enfield Independent)

We contested why four individuals had been victimised when there were obviously several hundred people involved who have freely admitted being involved in statements published all over the internet.

“Suspension is normally reserved for things like criminal damage or sexual assault so it seems a bit excessive.

“We were threatened with the threat of expulsion unless we promised not to participate in future occupation and disruption of the university. Obviously we will certainly participate in future demonstrations and support the campaign but we’ve agreed not to occupy university property without permission. But we will express our right to freedom of speech.”

And professors:
University suspends philosophy professors after sit-in over closure | News

I'm annoyed, to put it mildly. The suspension is unjustified because there's no specific allegation against me.

“The university is deliberately using the suspension to keep us from informing our colleagues about the details of the programme's closure. This is a spasm of managerial self-destruction. It's extraordinary.”

 read more »

Tom Morris @Huffington post has an interview with CUNY Philosopher Shannon Eric Kincaid, whose recently book Jobs I've Had covers the 63 jobs he's had over the years.  This little tidbit was especially notable:

Tom Morris: Interview With a Philosopher: Only One Person/Over Sixty Jobs.

People look at my current job and say, "Wow, must be nice. A dozen hours of teaching for three or four days a week, eight months a year? Summers off?" Yet they fail to appreciate the training it takes to become a professor, and the amount of important work that happens outside the classroom - like staring into space and thinking. One of the main points of the book is that being a "professional" anything means never NOT-working. You're a philosopher. You know what I mean. We do philosophy in the express line at the grocery store ("Do 12 cans of cat food count as one item, or 12?").

Another worrisome story coming out of London:
Middlesex University philosophy protesters suspended (From Enfield Independent)

Two professors, one lecturer and several students have been forbidden to enter the Trent Park campus, in Bramley Road, until Friday, when a hearing is due to take place.

From Middlesex: student protests: NORTHLONDON TODAY | NEWS | Philosophy students’ sit-in against cut plan | 2010

PHILOSOPHY students who barricaded themselves into university offices in protest at the culling of their department, ended their occupation after 11 days on Saturday.

And from MTSU: salvation (for now):MTSU avoids cutting programs | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

I've been out of touch with the blog over the past few weeks as the semester is coming to an end - but this story can't be neglected. Here are a couple of sources - I'll add more as I find them:
Times Higher Education - Loss of philosophy at Middlesex raises fears for humanities

Middlesex philosophy students protest against programme closure (From Enfield Independent)

Middlesex Kant Cut Philosophy « THE TAB – www.cambridgetab.co.uk – All the latest Cambridge University news online

A blow to philosophy and minorities - Sunday Times

Kutztown U is one of the state universities in Pennsylvania that is under threat of losing their Philosophy programs.  Here's a brief story from April 9th on the student rally protesting the possible loss.  My favorite slogan:

Kutztown University undergrads: Save our studies

Do the Math: KU - Philosophy = Embarrassment