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*** Cross-posted to Chaucer Discussion Group and REED-L *** Some additional information about the University of Kent issue that has been discussed in both these groups. I am at University of Kent, albeit studying English Literature at undergraduate level. Any changes to the Centre for Medieval and Tudor Studies may ultimately affect me, as I am planning to study Shakespeare as English Literature at postgraduate level. Staying at Kent is a possibility, and although I probably wouldn't be studying directly at the Centre (since my interests are more strongly focussed on 18th-21st century responses to Shakespeare rather than Shakespeare in the Renaissance itself) I would certainly have hoped to be able to have useful contacts with the staff and students of the Centre, which was (and may remain) strong on Medieval and Renaissance Drama. Kent insists that it isn't abolishing Medieval studies, just shifting its focus from late Medieval scholarship to early Medieval (with a particular aspiration to link up with the specialisms of the archaeology department), however this seems to involve some sort of cull of at least some of the current History staff, replacing them with more research-active Medievalists specialising in an earlier period. The real motive behind all this seems to be an attempt to improve the research profile of the History department so that it can move from a disappointing 4 in the last Research Assessment Exercise (all departments rated 4 are losing huge amounts of money in an ongoing rejigging of the funding system by the government) to a hoped-for rating of 5 in the next (which would mean more funding). Kent's explanation and justification of the changes can be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/campusnews.html?id=ccmts.txt . One of the questions that it doesn't seem to answer is exactly what impact these changes will have on the relationship between the Medieval and Tudor sections of the Centre's studies. Everybody seems focussed on the Medieval aspects (both Kent and the external media), but if the major focus of the Centre's research and teaching is shifted back to the earlier part of the Medieval period, then it will presumably do serious damage to one of the Centre's main raison d'etres, which is a focus on study of the links between the Medieval and Tudor periods. If you are studying such links then it makes sense to study the later Medieval period and the way that it runs into the Tudor period which grew out of it. I don't see how the Centre could realistically keep up this focus if the two spheres are split into the very early Medieval period at one end, and the Tudor period at the other, with only token efforts to maintain study of the latter Medieval period that joined the two eras. My understanding of these events is drawn from the Guardian article that has been posted here; an article from the Times Higher Educational Supplement; and the Kent response which I have given a link for above, but I don't claim any great understanding or insider knowledge. Despite studying at Kent, I don't know very much more than anybody else. Thomas Larque. "Shakespeare and His Critics" "British Shakespeare Association" http://shakespearean.org.uk http://britishshakespeare.ws