Oxford tries to throw book at new arts college set up by AC Grayling
Curtis Price, the head of house for New College at Oxford University, where the philosophers Isaiah Berlin and AJ Ayer once taught, said he was "not very pleased" by the name, widely abbreviated to New College in the press and online.
"It is an ill-chosen title for this venture in Bloomsbury, because it is setting out to provide an education similar to a college in Oxford or Cambridge," said Price. "I am trying to persuade him to use another name, and I understand he is considering other names," Price said.
Price said he was worried that "if this [college] is a farce, a joke, then our name is tainted". He added: "I can't think of any reason in the world why anyone who could pay £9,000 and come here [to New College, Oxford] and enjoy a further £9,000 subsidy, would rather go to the New College of the Humanities and pay £18,000."
He added that his colleagues were also concerned that it was "a poor choice of name" and he indicated that Grayling had floated the names of Bloomsbury College or Erasmus College as alternatives, but that he did not expect the professor to alter the existing name as it had been registered at Companies House and with the Charity Commission. Grayling has declined to comment on his contact with Price.
Grayling's private, for-profit venture, which offers lectures from well-known academics, including the biologist Steve Jones, and historian Niall Ferguson, launched this week into a storm of controversy. It emerged that the syllabus in English, history and philosophy was identical to that offered at the University of London at half the price, and that some of the star academics had agreed to do only a one hour-long lecture in the first year.
Peter Singer, the professor and philosopher, confirmed that he had only agreed to take one lecture in the first year, but said he might do more.
Grayling was forced to abandon a planned debate in a Foyles bookshop on Tuesday when the event was hijacked by people protesting at his private university; someone detonated a red smoke bomb.
A spokeswoman for the New College of the Humanities said: "I can't comment on any private correspondence that Anthony has with people. We are not going to be changing the name. There are numerous New Colleges around the UK. There is only one New College of the Humanities."
The row could be awkward for one of Grayling's star signings. The geneticist Richard Dawkins has agreed to give lectures on scientific literacy at the New College of the Humanities. He is also emeritus professor at New College in Oxford. Writing on his website on Monday he appeared to be unaware that he was named as a founder of the New College of the Humanities on its website. "This is the brainchild of AC Grayling, not me," he said.
source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/
0 Response to "Oxford tries to throw book at new arts college set up by AC Grayling"
Post a Comment