Dean Henry Woudhuysen’s handling of the proposed merger of Modern Languages was further criticised this month as his credibility was again called into question.
Up until this point students had been kept in the dark about Woudhuysen’s two phase plan for carrying out the merger; while phase one was clearly outlined, Woudhuysen had refused to explain what would happen after that. He asserted that ‘there is no document for phase two. I haven't even thought of how we’re going to come up with it
However this was undermined last month by the leaking of an early document entitled ‘Review of Modern Languages: document for discussion’. Circulated privately back in June 2009, the document goes into far greater detail on many issues not previously touched upon publicly.
Despite Woudhuysen’s profession that he hasn’t ‘even thought’ of how phase two will be drawn up this so-called ‘secret document' does just that, detailing spedific deadlines and restructuring. It outlines that "formal changes [should be] in place from 1 August 2010" with ‘the teaching of current students [having] to change to the new structure’. The document also acknowledges that cuts are intended to create a ‘cost-effective undergraduate programme', despite Woudhuysen’s public denials that the restructuring was in any way financially motivated.
Woudhuysen released the document himself last month after it had been leaked to the student body. When confronted with it he claimed that staff were consulted on it, rejected it and consequently that it has no relation to his current plans. Yet Woudhuysen’s own phase one, that same phase one that he claims will allow us to ‘think radically about phase two’, is almost identical to the initial stages outlined in ‘Review of Modern Languages: document for discussion’. Moreover it shows that ideas for phase two have been in circulation for over nine months, despite claims that none have even been thought of.
Fears among staff and students are that once phase one is completed, the only possible structure for the departments will be the one outlined in this initial text - there will be little practical opportunity afterwards to restore the current faculty structure.
Woudhuysen has also admitted that Michael Worton’s ‘Review of Modern Foreign Languages document for the HEFCE forms the basis of many of his plans. This document’s proposals coincidentally match up in many ways to the "secret document" which Woudhuysen now denies is related to current proposals. There is thus considerable ground to suggest thatthe mysterious phase two bears similarities to the document from which Woudhuysen is now attempting to distance himself.