Sir, - On Friday June 22nd, over 200 graduates of Queen's University Belfast gathered in the geology department on Elmwood Avenue to celebrate 152 years of geology teaching at Queens and to mark the closure of this great department in September.
Alumni from all corners of the world paid tribute to the quality of the education and learning which they received during their time in the geology department. All present agreed that the decision to close the department, despite its "excellent" rating for teaching, was scandalous and left Northern Ireland now the only part of this island where students will no longer be able to study this most important of the earth sciences.
The last class of students will graduate this summer and it was pleasing to learn that seven have obtained first-class honours degrees, a reflection of the ability and enthusiasm of the students for their subject and the dedication and professionalism of Dr Bernard Anderson and his staff.
The vice-chancellor of Queen's, Sir George Bain, has made his decision and has not been moved by the many persuasive arguments which have been made in favour of retaining geology.
While the Queen's balance sheet may improve slightly by this closure and accompanying staff redundancies, Sir George has shown that he does not give tuppence for academic tradition and teaching excellence as provided by the geology department since 1849. - Yours, etc.,
Frank Fleming, Malone Meadows, Belfast 9.