Chomsky, who has over thirty honorary degrees from Universities around the world and is seen by many as the leading living public intellectual, said “I am very sorry, naturally, to learn of the decision to cut linguistics courses. The field is at an exciting stage. The same is true generally of the cognitive sciences, within which linguistics has a central place. If the decision is implemented, it will, I think, be a serious blow to the intellectual life of the university.”
The National Union of Students (NUS) have also backed the “Save Linguistics” campaign with President Wes Streeting commenting “The threat to the linguistics course in Sussex is just the latest manifestation of crude market forces threatening some of Britain's leading courses and disciplines. It beggars belief that a course that was ranked second in the country only last year should be threatened with closure.
Streeting went on to say “While we understand the pressures facing universities during a challenging time for the economy, it is completely unacceptable that staff and students have been completely marginalised or ignored, particularly when this decision will have far reaching consequences for all concerned. We join staff and the students' union in calling on the University of Sussex to urgently revisit and reverse this damaging decision.”
The comments follow come after a rally on campus was attended by over 300 staff and students to protest against news that emerged on Thursday that Linguistics is being axed as a course at the University of Sussex. The decision has been met with dismay by students, staff and Students’ Union officials who are outraged that the University has chose to cut a course which was ranked second in the country last year.
The announcement led to students that had already been accepted on courses being told that they can’t study what they want as soon as two days before a University admissions day.
Support for the “Save Linguistics” campaign has ballooned in recent days with over a thousand people joining the facebook group and a petition that started yesterday has already attracted 500 signatures from students and staff.
Striking similarities have already been made to when the University attempted to cut the Chemistry department, three years ago this term, which led to a high-profile campaign from students and staff as well as intense criticism from scientists up and down the country. The proposal was eventually blocked by Senate which can not happen in this case.