Thursday, January 21, 2021

 

Abhominacioun

Craig Simpson, "Chaucer courses to be replaced by modules on race and sexuality under University of Leicester plans. Beowulf and The Canterbury tales could be sidelined under plans for the English department. Geoffrey Chaucer's works will no longer be taught under new proposals," Telegraph (20 January 2021):
The University of Leicester will stop teaching Geoffrey Chaucer's work and other medieval literature in favour of modules on race and sexuality, according to new proposals.

Management told the English department that courses on canonical works will be dropped for modules “students expect” as part of plans now under consultation.

Foundational texts like The Canterbury Tales and Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf would no longer be taught under proposals to scrap medieval literature.

Instead the English faculty will be refocused to drop centuries of the literary canon and deliver a “decolonised” curriculum devoted to diversity.

Academics now facing redundancy were told via email: “The aim of our proposals (is) to offer a suite of undergraduate degrees that provide modules which students expect of an English degree.”

New modules described as “excitingly innovative” would cover: “A chronological literary history, a selection of modules on race, ethnicity, sexuality and diversity, a decolonised curriculum, and new employability modules.”

Professors were told that to facilitate change management planned to stop all English Language courses, cease medieval literature, and reduce Early Modern Literature offerings.

It was claimed that this would “refocus and strengthen” the department.

Despite Chaucer’s position as “the father of English literature” the 14th century figure will no longer be taught if plans currently under consultation go ahead.

They would end all teaching on texts central to the development of the English language, including the Dark Age epic poem Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Sir Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur, the Viking sagas, and all works written earlier than 1500 would also be removed from the syllabus.

Cuts to Early Modern English modules could see texts John Milton’s Paradise Lost omitted, according to concerned academics, with teaching on Christopher Marlowe and John Donne potentially reduced.

The University of Leicester has said that teaching on William Shakespeare’s work will remain in place.

Staff do not have the same certainty, and were alerted to the change and the threat of redundancies on Monday, with 60 jobs under threat.

Many more roles are likely to be reassigned as specialist subjects are replaced.

Plans for restructuring at the university were announced in 2020, with management seeking to ensure courses were “sustainable” for the next decade of student intake.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah said that changing modules was part of the long-term strategy to “compete on a global level”, adding: “To facilitate this, we may need to cease activity in a limited number of areas.”

While teaching on almost 1000 years of the English language and its literature may be subject to cuts, the university has pledged that students will still receive comprehensive education.

A spokeswoman said: “We are currently considering some proposed changes to our English programme and are consulting with staff as part of these discussions.

“The University of Leicester continues to offer students a broad programme of learning at undergraduate level, including a chronological span of English Literature, from Shakespeare to Bernadine Evaristo, alongside thematically-driven and author-driven modules.

“We are committed to the future sustainability of teaching English, and we will continue to work with our staff and our students to deliver this.”

Consultation will begin next week on the future of English faculty roles placed under threat of redundancy.
A Chaucer Wordlist:

ape n. "ape, monkey (also as adj.); dupe, fool"
bitraisinge ger. "betrayal"
couardie n. "cowardice"
daffe n. "fool"
falshede n. "falseness, deceitfulness, infidelity"
idel adj. "idle, lazy; futile, worthless; empty"
idolatrie n. "idolatry"
inconstaunce n. "inconstancy, fickleness"
infecten v. "infect with disease, contaminate; invalidate; darken"
imposen v. "(ppl.) imposed, made compulsory"
knavish adj. "crude"
shreue n. "scoundrel, evildoer; malignant planet"
swines-hed n. "pig's head, fool"
tene n. "harm, trouble; grief, affliction; ill will; cause of trouble"
temporal adj. "temporal, worldly"
thef n. "thief, scoundrel"
trecheri n. "treachery, treason"
unwit n. "lack of prudence, foolishness"
unworshipful adj. "without honor"
unworthi adj. "unworthy"

Hat tip: Eric Thomson.

A few of the Chaucer posts on this blog:

# posted by Michael Gilleland @ 6:24 AM


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