Independents Day

It has come to our attention that a proposal is being put forward to close the Department of Innovation and Enterprise. Should the proposal be passed it would see the end of the Part 2 degree scheme that is currently in place, with Part 1 still being available in the Department of Continuing Education.

Frank Dawes, a spokesperson for the Department, said the decision had been taken due to the decreasing number of students over the last few years enrolling in the unique courses offered by the department, such as ‘Political Hollywood’, and with the disappearing free choice module which is traditionally available the first years these numbers were not seen as likely to increase. Nr Dawes said the ‘degree scheme was from a different era and its time had come to an end’.

The Independent degree scheme was founded in 1973 with the idea to “make the individual student a producer of his own curriculum rather than a consumer of one designed for students in general”. This unique idea provided a welcome break from the other black and white degrees at the time allowing a student to research an area which they found particularly interesting, as opposed to the areas decided upon by the specific department or school. The course was not only unique in its make-up, but also in its teaching method. Whilst the traditional degree schemes involved lectures and exams Independent Studies had, and still does to this day, promoted research based work in a format that was completely coursework assessed. The department also made great emphasis on the use of alternative formats for coursework, taking a preference to presentations, be it through power point or a film, as opposed to the standard essay.

However as the black and white departments or schools moved towards the multi-coloured rainbow that is independent learning the departments days were numbered and, it appears, have now come to an end. Many of the courses that were first pioneered by the Department of Innovation and Enterprise are going to be available in different departments around the university, but it is a fond farewell to the trailblazers of independent learning in Lancaster University.