Professor Edith Hall, one of Britain's top classicists, quits in row over university budget cuts

Taken From The Guardian

One of Britain's most respected classicists, Edith Hall, has resigned as head of a leading academic department in protest at impending budget cuts.
Despite winning the support of well-known Classics enthusiasts such as Boris Johnson, Stephen Fry and the literary theorist Terry Eagleton, Professor Hall said she had been pushed to "tipping point" by management.
The decision by Hall, a world expert on Homer, is said to have left fellow academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, demoralised.
Her resignation comes as the latest high-level protest at shrinking budgets in the humanities and social sciences. After campaigning successfully for several months to prevent deeper cuts at Royal Holloway with her "Save Classics" campaign, Hall is to take up a new post at King's College, London, in April. Many of her students will move with her.
"You cannot have a serious university without the study of the Greeks and Romans, as Terry Eagleton has said. It is a tragedy because we were really building something here," said Hall.
For months, the professor had fought what she saw as a threat to her department, arising from doubts over the number of students it was able to attract in future. "What is being proposed is an ideological grudge against Classics disguised as speculation," said Hall. "We have managed to defer some of the plans, but you can't apply for research grants if you don't know what level of staff you will have. The management at Royal Holloway has shot itself in the foot."

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