updated:
http://www.arcsoc.org/
also,
Cambridge's architecture department saved from demolition
Polly Curtis, education correspondent
Wednesday January 12, 2005
After a furious national debate about university department closures,
Cambridge's architecture department today won a reprieve after dons
voted against scrapping it.
Students and staff at the department were this afternoon celebrating the
decision, which followed a frantic restructuring of the department and
design of a plan to radically improve its research status.
The department, internationally respected for its teaching, slipped from
a five to a four in the last research assessment exercise, costing it
£350,000 in research funding. It was earmarked for closure last term
prompting a massive campaign to save it.
Marcial Echenique, head of the department, told EducationGuardian.co.uk:
"It's a tremendous relief. Common sense has prevailed and it is a great
day for architecture and the university. To have lost the most
distinguished department would have been a real tragedy."
He thanked supporters of the campaign, who included dozens of prominent
architects and alumni, notably the comedian Gryff Rhys Jones.
Academics in the department and those within the school of arts and
humanities, its "parent" school, presented proposals on how to secure a
future for the department to the university's general board at 2pm
today. They include a renewed focus on research, with a new professor
and lecturer in sustainable design, which it is hoped will increase
their research income.
However six of the current 17-strong team will leave with three taking
early retirement and a further three to be decided.
cont'd...
http://education.guardian.co.uk/universitiesincrisis/story/0,12028,1388940,00.html