Press Release, 1 July 2010

The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy moved from Middlesex University to Kingston University today. Four members of philosophy staff moved with the Centre. Two of these members of staff were placed under ‘precautionary’ suspension by Middlesex management on 21 May, pending an investigation into their role in the occupations at Trent Park. Their suspensions were never lifted, and they remained suspended when their Middlesex employment came to an end on 30 June.

This directly contradicts the assurance two weeks ago by ­John McGuinness (Director of Human Resources at Middlesex) to several parties, including half a dozen external examiners and the UCU regional representative, that the suspensions would be lifted by 18 June. Along with several other issues raised by the campaign, the general question of Middlesex University’s abuse of disciplinary procedures thus remains unresolved. The Middlesex UCU branch has now moved to stage 2 of its Disputes Procedure with the University over these suspensions and their implications. The campaign against mismanagement, abuse of process and intimidation of academic staff continues, as does the mobilisation to save the undergraduate programme in Philosophy and to resist the erosion of education at Middlesex more broadly.