Cambridge University says that it will make a final decision on the future of its architecture school in January.
Cambridge University has granted its 100-year-old architecture school a stay of execution, the University General Board announced yesterday.
The administrators met on Wednesday to decide if the department, which has 150 students and about 100 postgraduates should close, but instead postponed the decision until the new year. The school has an average of 8.5 people bidding for each available place, making it the most popular department in Cambridge.
The university had recommended last month that the department be closed, citing 鈥渋nsufficient progress towards meeting Cambridge standards in terms of research quality鈥�.
The architecture department had been threatened with closure ever since it failed to obtain a five-star rating for research from the Higher Education Funding Council for England three years ago. This meant it lost 50-75% of its funding and is now struggling to pay its teachers. It is one of the few departments at Cambridge not to obtain a five-star rating.
Marciel Echenique, the head of the architecture department, had said that the 2001 HEFCE rating had been unfair as it had assessed the department in terms of the built environment, a wider area than just architecture.
The Board wish to explore further some aspects of these proposals and expect to take forward an agreed plan at the next meeting in January 2005.
Professor Alison Richard, University vice chancellor
The General Board will make its decision after hearing proposals to improve the department鈥檚 standing, and will make a definitive announcement in January 2005. Professor Alison Richard, Vice Chancellor of the University, said in a statement: 鈥淭he Board wish to explore further some aspects of these proposals and expect to take forward an agreed plan at the next meeting in January 2005. The Board reaffirms its commitment to students seeking entry in 2005 and 2006."
Hundreds of students went on the march in Cambridge on Monday last week to protest against the closure, as RIBA officials worked frantically with the authorities in Cambridge.
The RIBA wrote an open letter to Cambridge to save its architecture school, echoing a letter signed by eminent architects such as Sir Michael Hopkins, Sir Terry Farrell, Lord Rogers and Lord Foster.
