Senate

 

Subject:    Change to Title of Department

Origin:       Professor Mark Webber

 

Executive Summary:

 

Senate is asked to recommend to Council a change of title for the Department of Politics, International Relations and European Studies (PIRES) to the Department of Politics, History and International Relations (PHIR), with effect from the  2009/10 academic year.

 

 

This proposal is the consequence of two recent developments within PIRES:

 

  • The reintroduction of the History subject area at Loughborough.

 

Following Senate approval of the relevant proposals in March 2009, PIRES will in October welcome the first cohort of students onto four new Joint Honours programmes involving History and: Politics/International Relations/Geography and English. With a target of 65 students at first intake, it is projected that by 2011/12 some 190 students will be taking these programmes. This will constitute approximately 30 per cent of the Department’s undergraduate student population. To accommodate this initiative, PIRES has appointed three academic staff (one at professorial level) with possibly two more to follow. These appointments add to existing staff with strong research and teaching interests in History. The academic staff complement in this subject, therefore, is already significant and these staff will make an important contribution to the Department’s submission under the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The History initiative is in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, and specifically the goals of ‘[b]uilding our international reputation as a leading UK provider of research-informed education’ and ‘[e]xpand[ing] our portfolio of subjects’. The launch of History will be marked with a public lecture by eminent historian Prof. Richard Overy on 28 October 2009 – this will be the first of several public events which will position the subject at Loughborough. A change of name makes clear the University’s firm commitment to History and will register this commitment to wider public and academic communities.

 

  • The decline of European Studies

 

European Studies is a diminishing part of Departmental activity. The European Studies degree programme accounts for the smallest undergraduate student intake in PIRES and the future of this programme is now under active consideration. In terms of research, For RAE 2001 and 2008, PIRES submitted to the European Studies panel – a reflection of the multi-disciplinary nature of its research and strengths in German, French and Spanish area studies. Recent and upcoming staffing alterations have reduced the Area Studies emphasis and the Department is now considering submission to the Politics and International Relations panel under the REF. Note that we do not regard European Studies as a synonym for language tuition and this will remain (not least, through the University-Wide Language Programme) a core part of Departmental teaching provision.

 

The above proposal has been discussed and agreed within PIRES and was welcomed by SSH Faculty Directorate at its meeting of April 21, 2009.

 

Professor Mark Webber

Head of Department