University of Sheffield forces through closure of world-renowned archaeology department
The University of Sheffield has confirmed it will close its renowned archaeology department. Despite widespread local and international revulsion at this act of cultural vandalism, an online petition opposing the closure attracting 45,000 signatures and a campaign by the department’s staff, students, and supporters to keep the department open, management decided to close the department.
On July 13, the University Executive Board (UEB) officially ratified recommendations made by the University’s Senate in the spring that the department cease to exist. Staff numbers have been reduced in the department for years, with only 11 remaining. An unspecified number of staff will be retained, with management proposing they are attached to other university departments to focus on specialist areas of postgraduate study. Undergraduate study will cease.
All face-to-face teaching at the University of Sheffield has been suspended following a staff member testing positive, it has been announced.
A staff member, working out of the Arts Tower, tested positive for the virus on Friday afternoon (13 March), and 11 floors of the building were closed to the public.
An email to all students, from the Vice-Chancellor Professor Koen Lamberts, said: “The global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) is a great concern and the health and wellbeing of our students and staff is our absolute priority. I have seriously considered Public Health England’s advice and I have no alternative option, given the current circumstances, but to temporarily suspend face-to-face teaching from Monday 16 March.