The University of Queensland has signalled its intent to offer philanthropically funded ¡°great books¡± courses after holding talks with the controversial Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.

But unlike the University of Wollongong ¨C which announced an agreement with the Ramsay Centre a week before Christmas, astonishing staff who were unaware that talks had been underway ¨C Queensland insists that its proposal is not a fait accompli.

¡°The university leadership recognises the need to keep an open mind, and respects the need to listen to staff as we consider the next steps,¡± Queensland says in an explanatory published on 21 January.

¡°Any partnership agreement would have to be on the right terms and there would need to be safeguards built in to protect the university¡¯s integrity and autonomy.¡±

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The Ramsay Centre has drawn considerable flak with its proposal to support courses in Western civilisation with generous funds and scholarships. Critics have condemned the idea as ¡°European supremacism writ large¡±.

The Australian National University ended negotiations last year, citing threats to its autonomy, while talks involving the University of Sydney have attracted bitter opposition from staff and students.

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The Ramsay Centre¡¯s negotiations with Queensland have been common knowledge, with the university submitting an expression of interest in mid-October. But Queensland says that it has kept the details under wraps ¡°due to a confidentiality agreement signed by both parties¡±.

¡°Now that we have entered a new phase in our discussions, UQ recognises that it is both prudent and valuable to give genuine consideration to the views of all staff,¡± the university adds.

The proposal, which Queensland says is deemed ¡°desirable and achievable¡± by both the university and Ramsay Centre, does not involve a newly badged degree. Instead, Western civilisation studies would be tacked on to two of Queenland¡¯s existing programmes.

Under one option,?students enrolled in the four-year bachelor of advanced humanities (honours) programme would study Western civilisation as an ¡°extended major¡±. The second ¡°pathway¡± would restructure a current honours law degree programme into an optional dual degree, with students adding Western-focused humanities to their legal studies.

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A deal with?the Ramsay Centre would enable?Queensland to recruit up to 11 new academic staff, offering classes in tutorial groups of up to 10 students ¨C a luxurious staff-to-student ratio by Australian standards.

The students would?be?eligible for scholarships of?as much as A$135,000 (?75,000) over up to five years, with additional support for each of them to spend a semester overseas.

¡°We could not teach the pathways without significant resources that would flow from the partnership,¡± Queensland says. ¡°This shows how external funding can radically alter how the university evaluates the viability of courses and majors.

¡°The proposed approach is not only to recover the meaning of the ¡®great books¡¯ but also to critically evaluate their value and significance. Talented young people would be taught in a pluralistic way to make sure future leaders are informed by the rigour that our humanities disciplines can and should inject.¡±

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The Queensland document says that the university will maintain control over appointments, curriculum and teaching?¨C and that academic independence is a ¡°red-line issue¡±, with the new majors exposed to the regular approval mechanisms. ¡°UQ will not cut corners or compromise its approval process,¡± it says.

If a memorandum of understanding is reached, the university intends to publish it.

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john.ross@timeshighereducation.com