The Department of Anthropology has decided to cancel the Applied Studies/Global Citizenship course taught by Dr. Jennifer Randall in 2012/2013. As students who have completed this course we deeply regret this decision for the following reasons: 1) The Applied Studies course offers anthropology students the unique opportunity to engage with topics of particular relevance to contemporary issues such as public health, social and environmental policies and economic processes. Furthermore, the possibility of engaging with an organisation in the form of a short-term placement alongside the discussion of related topics distinguishes this course from other modules in its practical approach. The suspension of the Applied Studies course removes from prospective students the opportunity to gain insight into the field of Applied Anthropology which is not represented in any other undergraduate module currently offered by the department. 2) Dr. Randall's dedication and enthusiasm for this course has been extraordinary. Not only was she open to incorporating students' ideas and interests into the curriculum (which often involved additional preparation for the seminars), but she offered individual support to each of her students regarding course work and placements as well as general queries and ideas. 3) The course has resonated extremely well with both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the department. While we appreciate the continuing efforts undertaken by the department to take student opinions into account, we feel that our experience of Applied Studies and interactions with Dr. Randall have not been considered in the decision to discontinue the course. Hence the signatures as a means to emphasise the value the Applied Studies course represented for students in the department. We hope that our collective effort will inspire the department to reconsider its decision to discontinue Applied Studies in 2012/2013. Thank you for your support!

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