I was extern examiner in German at Bristol from 1994 to 1997, during which time Dr Simon was my contact person (I am a medievalist too). At all times I was impressed by her commitment to her teaching function, to the students in her department and to fair but rigorous examining standards. Whatever information I required was sent promptly, procedural conventions were explained clearly and any problems on which I was asked to adjudicate were outlined succinctly. In my experience these vital organisational competences are not always found in one’s academic colleagues.
Over recent decades many posts for medievalists in these islands have been lost. However, the resulting reduction in the historical dimension is leading to an increasing two-dimensionality in what students are offered. At times German studies in Britain and Ireland seem to be little more than post-1945 cinema, as in the US they seem to be little more than Holocaust studies (both these subjects of course being wholly justifiable as part of a balanced programme). It is ironic that somebody like Dr Simon should be made redundant at just the time when the business and industrial sectors are belatedly making the point that (quite apart from any fancy notions of the desirability of a culturally sophisticated managerial class) the economy needs graduates with a competence in languages and the things that are appropriately studied with languages at university level.
If Bristol feels that it can dispense with the services of such a committed and competent teacher and researcher as Dr Simon, it must be truly rich in its resources of academic staff.