Heartbreaking. Dr Adela Halo taught me so much last year about intellectual history and guided me so well through very complicated topics. She is an incredibly experienced, kind, intelligent historian and lecturer and I cannot believe the university would get rid of her like this. Dr Alessandro De Arcangelis taught me so much about gaze and perspectives in history, about divisive frameworks historical actors and historians work in biases in our discipline and the nature of historical knowledge itself. From Dr Halo's and Archangelis' lectures and seminars, I was always left with excitement and new understanding. Staff in the history department always gave me so much and I cannot believe that some of them will not be able to stay. It is not just about the unjust treatment of academics, but also the lack of transparency towards them and students that strikes me. It makes me question UCLs future and my own future in academia.
R
Robert Delaney
2 years ago
Save out Dept!
R
Rebecca Troy
2 years ago
Put simply Alessandro de Arangelis has made me a better historian. I have taken his modules in my second and final (current) year at UCL and I think he is the only person who was/is capable of encouraging me to combine my background in opera and interest in Enlightenment philosophy in a meaningful way. This is due to his academic commitment to rethinking Enlightenment historiography (demonstrating a continued need for education in this field!) and his restless interest in his students. These ruthless and unlawful redundancies would represent a real and immediate decline in the quality of history education at UCL. I urge these potential redundancies to be reconsidered immediately.
D
David Brittain
2 years ago
Talented lectures who inspired my daughter during her time at UCL
I
Izzie Moull
2 years ago
The teaching I have recieved this year from lecturers on the list of reudndancaies has been nothing short of first class. They are incredibly engaging lecturers wo clearly care passionatley about their subject and about helping students excel. Dr Jack Saunders somehow managed to make monday 9AMs the best seminars of the week and shared his passionn for the subject with every student in the room. Dr Adela Halo has been an incredible help when submitting year abroad applications and losing her from the department is concerning as I will no longer have an established relationship with the study abroad tutor when I am on my year abroad and may need support. The module choices for the next year have also been decimated by UCL going down the fire and rehire route, if I was a student choosing a university again I would not choose UCL. The heart and soul of the department is being gutted out and UCL will be all the poorer for it.
T
Thomas Kenny
2 years ago
My classes with Alessandro de Arcangelis and Joe Cozens were some of the most engaging and enjoyable that I had in my time at UCL, and both professors were incredibly kind and approachable (as is certain to be the case with the other tutors being made redundant). Their redundancy would be a major loss to UCL and the student body.
D
Dominic Gaetani
2 years ago
Many of these tutors have inspired me greatly and I will be indebted to them for the rest of my life. The history department and its students have been positively affected by them in too many ways to count. These redundancies are illogical, unlawful, and inhumane. They would leave an unrepairable hole in the department and the university as a whole and be devastating for the personal lives and mental and physical health for these tutors. It is disgusting how these tutors are being treated and the redundancies must be reconsidered immediately.
E
Elettra Plati
2 years ago
I came to UCL 2021 not knowing what I was ever going to do with my History degree. In my third year, I now plan to pursue an MA in Intellectual History, a decision that was largely shaped by the teachings of Alessandro and Adela. They are brilliant, and passionate lecturers who made my degree engaging and intellectually stimulating, and who truly made me appreciate history as subject, more than I thought I could. UCL is a place where I would have loved to spend more time, but this situation is too unfair and disappointing.
A
Anonymous
2 years ago
Featured
Joe Couzens’ module was one of my favorite. I remember him saying in 2021 how he was afraid this type of thing could happen due to the awful type of contract he was on.
D
Daniel Elphick
2 years ago
Treat your staff better.
A
Anonymous
2 years ago
UCL history alum from 2023
E
Emma Viry
2 years ago
Featured
I am a postgraduate student in MA History paying outrageously expensive international fees. Where is the money even going? If you let go of the best academics of our department, what are we even here for? This is institution is not holding up to its promises. Do better.
A
Annabelle Silm
2 years ago
I have had the pleasure during my time in UCL to study under the passionate, hardworking and inspirational professors Jack Saunders, Tom Penfold, and Mitch Robinson. I had wished to undertake my dissertation under one of these brilliant academics. I am severely disappointed to hear of their potential redundancies. I feel their dismissal would mark a severe loss of talent and potential. These professors, more than any others, have made my time at UCL worthwhile and I feel losing them would severely impact my final year. I stand with other UCL history students in strongly objecting to the proposed redundancies in the department.
E
Erzen Llapashtica
2 years ago
finance capital and the humanities are incompatible it seems. the humanities are dead. and long live the humanities.
N
Nadim El Harake
2 years ago
The decision to make a substantial number of the UCL History department redundant is troubling and detrimental. It will backfire. Some of the professors I had the good fortune of learning from were precisely what made my experience and memories at UCL so special, and to know that those very same professors now face the threat of redundancy strikes me as both unfair and unlawful. I sincerely hope UCL reconsiders this decision and that matters can be resolved properly, for the benefit of students and professors alike, and for UCL’s prestigious reputation to persist and grow in the way it deserves.
L
Louis Miller
2 years ago
I’ve heard that Joe Couzens is being let go as part of this, and that’s dreadful to hear. His thematic in my last year was incredibly insightful into London history, and I think his redundancy would leave a huge void in the department in expertise.
R
Rebecca Moore
2 years ago
As a UCL graduate, I am deeply saddened to hear this news. Alessandro De Arcangelis is the lecturer that made my UCL experience so great. His passion, committment and constant support was second to none throughout my degree. I honestly cannot imagine my time without him.
I am so disappointed that UCL has made this decision and future students will not have the experience I look back upon so fondly. Please reconsider - these lecturers are far too valuable to let go!
M
Matthew Crooks
2 years ago
Heard about Alessandro - he helped shape the majority of my second year studies, was a brilliant lecturer and one of the smartest people I’ve ever interacted with. Knew how to share his passion and energy with his students but also have a laugh with on a 1-to-1. Disappointed, as I’m sure the others on the list had a similar effect on those they taught. UCL needs to do better.
L
Louis Miller
2 years ago
Very disappointed to hear - UCL must do better.
S
Seth Ezra Bullock
2 years ago
The history department is neglected already. The staff were the deciding factor in what makes the department one of the best in the world. I know this may come as a shock to the UCL big wigs but not everyone wants to be a doctor.
Heartbreaking. Dr Adela Halo taught me so much last year about intellectual history and guided me so well through very complicated topics. She is an incredibly experienced, kind, intelligent historian and lecturer and I cannot believe the university would get rid of her like this. Dr Alessandro De Arcangelis taught me so much about gaze and perspectives in history, about divisive frameworks historical actors and historians work in biases in our discipline and the nature of historical knowledge itself. From Dr Halo's and Archangelis' lectures and seminars, I was always left with excitement and new understanding. Staff in the history department always gave me so much and I cannot believe that some of them will not be able to stay. It is not just about the unjust treatment of academics, but also the lack of transparency towards them and students that strikes me. It makes me question UCLs future and my own future in academia.
Save out Dept!
Put simply Alessandro de Arangelis has made me a better historian. I have taken his modules in my second and final (current) year at UCL and I think he is the only person who was/is capable of encouraging me to combine my background in opera and interest in Enlightenment philosophy in a meaningful way. This is due to his academic commitment to rethinking Enlightenment historiography (demonstrating a continued need for education in this field!) and his restless interest in his students. These ruthless and unlawful redundancies would represent a real and immediate decline in the quality of history education at UCL. I urge these potential redundancies to be reconsidered immediately.
Talented lectures who inspired my daughter during her time at UCL
The teaching I have recieved this year from lecturers on the list of reudndancaies has been nothing short of first class. They are incredibly engaging lecturers wo clearly care passionatley about their subject and about helping students excel. Dr Jack Saunders somehow managed to make monday 9AMs the best seminars of the week and shared his passionn for the subject with every student in the room. Dr Adela Halo has been an incredible help when submitting year abroad applications and losing her from the department is concerning as I will no longer have an established relationship with the study abroad tutor when I am on my year abroad and may need support. The module choices for the next year have also been decimated by UCL going down the fire and rehire route, if I was a student choosing a university again I would not choose UCL. The heart and soul of the department is being gutted out and UCL will be all the poorer for it.
My classes with Alessandro de Arcangelis and Joe Cozens were some of the most engaging and enjoyable that I had in my time at UCL, and both professors were incredibly kind and approachable (as is certain to be the case with the other tutors being made redundant). Their redundancy would be a major loss to UCL and the student body.
Many of these tutors have inspired me greatly and I will be indebted to them for the rest of my life. The history department and its students have been positively affected by them in too many ways to count. These redundancies are illogical, unlawful, and inhumane. They would leave an unrepairable hole in the department and the university as a whole and be devastating for the personal lives and mental and physical health for these tutors. It is disgusting how these tutors are being treated and the redundancies must be reconsidered immediately.
I came to UCL 2021 not knowing what I was ever going to do with my History degree. In my third year, I now plan to pursue an MA in Intellectual History, a decision that was largely shaped by the teachings of Alessandro and Adela. They are brilliant, and passionate lecturers who made my degree engaging and intellectually stimulating, and who truly made me appreciate history as subject, more than I thought I could. UCL is a place where I would have loved to spend more time, but this situation is too unfair and disappointing.
Joe Couzens’ module was one of my favorite. I remember him saying in 2021 how he was afraid this type of thing could happen due to the awful type of contract he was on.
Treat your staff better.
UCL history alum from 2023
I am a postgraduate student in MA History paying outrageously expensive international fees. Where is the money even going? If you let go of the best academics of our department, what are we even here for? This is institution is not holding up to its promises. Do better.
I have had the pleasure during my time in UCL to study under the passionate, hardworking and inspirational professors Jack Saunders, Tom Penfold, and Mitch Robinson. I had wished to undertake my dissertation under one of these brilliant academics. I am severely disappointed to hear of their potential redundancies. I feel their dismissal would mark a severe loss of talent and potential. These professors, more than any others, have made my time at UCL worthwhile and I feel losing them would severely impact my final year. I stand with other UCL history students in strongly objecting to the proposed redundancies in the department.
finance capital and the humanities are incompatible it seems. the humanities are dead. and long live the humanities.
The decision to make a substantial number of the UCL History department redundant is troubling and detrimental. It will backfire. Some of the professors I had the good fortune of learning from were precisely what made my experience and memories at UCL so special, and to know that those very same professors now face the threat of redundancy strikes me as both unfair and unlawful. I sincerely hope UCL reconsiders this decision and that matters can be resolved properly, for the benefit of students and professors alike, and for UCL’s prestigious reputation to persist and grow in the way it deserves.
I’ve heard that Joe Couzens is being let go as part of this, and that’s dreadful to hear. His thematic in my last year was incredibly insightful into London history, and I think his redundancy would leave a huge void in the department in expertise.
As a UCL graduate, I am deeply saddened to hear this news. Alessandro De Arcangelis is the lecturer that made my UCL experience so great. His passion, committment and constant support was second to none throughout my degree. I honestly cannot imagine my time without him. I am so disappointed that UCL has made this decision and future students will not have the experience I look back upon so fondly. Please reconsider - these lecturers are far too valuable to let go!
Heard about Alessandro - he helped shape the majority of my second year studies, was a brilliant lecturer and one of the smartest people I’ve ever interacted with. Knew how to share his passion and energy with his students but also have a laugh with on a 1-to-1. Disappointed, as I’m sure the others on the list had a similar effect on those they taught. UCL needs to do better.
Very disappointed to hear - UCL must do better.
The history department is neglected already. The staff were the deciding factor in what makes the department one of the best in the world. I know this may come as a shock to the UCL big wigs but not everyone wants to be a doctor.