Open Letter to Professor Rorden Wilkinson in support of Ancient History, Archaeology and the Ancient Languages at Macquarie
by katieboulton
30/04/2025
Dear Professor Rorden Wilkinson,
cc. Academic Senate, Teaching and Learning Director for Faculty of Arts, Professor Albert Atkin, and Executive Dean of Faculty of Arts, Professor Chris Dixon.
I am writing as Chair of the Council of University Classical Departments to express our collective concern at reports that Macquarie University is planning to make dramatic reductions in its provision of courses in Ancient History, Archaeology and Ancient Languages.
The CUCD is the UK subject association for university classics departments in the UK representing more than 30 departments or other units within which classical subjects are taught. In this area we correspond to the Society of Classical Studies in the US and to the Australasian Society for Classical Studies (ASCS) in Australia and New Zealand. We have close links with Australian classics as many Australian scholars teach in the UK and vice versa, and graduate students often move between the two countries. Macquarie University has ten exchange partnerships in the UK for students opting to take Study Abroad opportunities, and Academic collaborations and publications also draw us together.
I am writing because we are very surprised indeed, and concerned, to hear that Macquarie is on the point of discontinuing its dedicated Ancient History and Archaeology courses. Surprised because Macquarie has a world-leading reputation in these subject areas, and its student numbers in these degrees make them thriving and economically viable. Concerned because the proposal sits alongside other planned changes that will impose a ceiling on student achievement.
The Ancient History course at Macquarie is the only degree in Australia offering a full study of Egyptology, Greece, Rome, Late Antiquity and Byzantium. The Archaeology degree provides a bridge between the Arts and Sciences, as well as providing crucial vocational education for field archaeology. Employers appreciate the unusually wide range of skills the subjects teach, and many employers appreciate that in the future they will need flexible and fast learners. The Ancient History and Archaeology degrees at Macquarie produce just that: both courses were reviewed for accreditation in 2024 and were highly praised by fellow academics, industry partners, and alumni on review panels.
Language studies also contribute to the employability of Macquarie graduates and they facilitate further work in many fields. Latin in particular is a route into medical history, historical linguistics, as well as mediaeval and early modern history. We understand that the proposal is not to abolish the subjects but to include them within a Bachelor of History. But the divestment of the BA and MA courses in Ancient History and Archaeology, coupled with the planned closure of its Ancient Languages program, will significantly detract from the University’s reputation for producing graduates of the highest quality. It will also hopelessly jeopardize the prospects of Macquarie graduates who want to embark on PhD or teacher training courses that require competence in languages or ancient history.
CUCD understands that all universities need to take stock periodically of their teaching portfolios, and we also appreciate the pressure under which Australia’s university sector is operating more generally. However, our experience in the UK, and we are certain the same is true elsewhere, is that the loss of any one sub discipline hampers the others. As we become more and more interdisciplinary in our teaching and research these specialisms have a new significance that require protection. We believe that the proposal of a single Bachelors in History that replaces degrees in subject areas as diverse as ancient history, archaeology, and modern history not only privileges the study of the latter; it also fails to appreciate the distinct reputation Macquarie holds as an environment for ancient history and archaeological research.
For all these reasons we urge the University to pause the current process, to consult more widely across the subject areas affected, and to pull back from the current proposal of a single Bachelors of History that removes entirely the option of studying the ancient languages.
Yours sincerely
Dr Kathryn Tempest
Chair, Council of University Classical Departments