French programs across New York are in trouble! We need to stand together and not let this happen. I trust that I can count on the New York in French community for support.
YOU CAN HELP BY SIGNING THE PETITION:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SUNY/petition.html
Thank you!
-Laura Martin
Below is a letter from one of the professors of SUNY Albany's French Department explaining the dire situation:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Today the seven members of the French faculty at SUNY--Albany (all tenured) were informed that by presidential decision, ostensibly for budgetary reasons, the French program has been "deactivated" at all levels (BA, MA, PhD), as have BA programs in Russian and Italian. The only foreign language program unaffected is Spanish. The primary criterion used in making the decision was undergrad majors-to-faculty ratio. We were told that tenured faculty in French, Russian, and Italian will be kept on long enough for our students to finish their degrees--meaning three years at the outside. Senoir faculty are being encouraged to take early retirement. The rest of us are being urged to "pursue our careers elsewhere," as our Provost put it.
Needless to say, the decision is personally devastating to those of us affected, but it is also symptomatic of the ongoing devaluation of foreign-language and other humanities program in universities across the United States. I'm writing to ask for your help in spreading the word about this decision as widely as possible and in generating as much negative media publicity as possible against SUNY--Albany and the SUNY system in its entirety.
There is much background to add about how this decision was reached and implemented, too much for me to explain fully here. Suffice it to say that the disappearance of French, Italian, and Russian has resulted from an almost complete lack of leadership at the Albany campus and in the SUNY system. Our president, a former state pension fund manager, holds an MBA as his highest degree, has never held a college or university teaching position, and has never engaged in any kind of scholarship.
More disturbing still, due process was not followed in the decision-making process. The affected programs were not consulted or given the opportunity to propose money-saving reforms. Our Dean and Provost simply hand-selected an advisory committee to rubber stamp the president's decision. The legalities of the situation remain to be discussed with our union, UUP, but in the meantime I welcome any advice you may have.
best,
Brett
Brett Bowles
Associate Professor of French Studies
French Graduate Program Director
State University of New York, Albany
bbowles@albany.edu< HYPERLINK "mailto:bbowles@albany.edu"
Replies
THE DEMISE OF YET ANOTHER FRENCH PROGRAM
Middle Country School District has abruptly decided to eliminate its French Program. We found out about these cuts by reading Sunday’s Newsday (2/6/11).
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/state-number-of-failin...
We need your help to let them know how valuable French is in the world and to ask them to reconsider cutting the program.
The French program at Middle Country has a consistent record of !00% passing on the Regents. For a school that is on the list of failing schools, why take away a successful program? Instead, this program should be promoted and expanded.
The Mission Statement of the District claims, “...to empower and inspire all students to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be creative problem solvers, to achieve personal success, and to contribute responsibly in a diverse and dynamic world.” By taking away a language, they are minimizing the students chances to compete against students who are offered so much more.
The time to act is now. Time is of the essance. Please show your support in one or more of the following ways:
Correspondence may be sent to Board members through the District Clerk, Administration Building,
8 Forty-Third Street, Centereach, NY 11720.
MIDDLE COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Karen Lessler, Ed.D., President
Susan Jacobson, Vice President
Arlene Barresi
Doreen Feldmann
Nicholas Caracappa
Carmel Fitzpatrick
Deborah Felber
Kristopher Oliva
James Pendola
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Middle Country School District has abruptly decided to eliminate its French Program. We found out about these cuts by reading last Sunday’s Newsday (2/6/11).
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/state-number-of-failing-schools-may-double-1.2664481
We need your help to let them know how valuable French is in the world and to ask them to reconsider cutting the program.
The Mission Statement of the District claims, “...to empower and inspire all students to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be creative problem solvers, to achieve personal success, and to contribute responsibly in a diverse and dynamic world.”
The time to act is now as the next Board of Ed meeting is this week. We fear that after Wednesday (2/16), it will be too late. There are ways you can help:
Correspondence may be sent to Board members through the District Clerk, Administration Building,
8 Forty-Third Street, Centereach, NY 11720.
Emails may be sent to: boe@mccsd.net
MIDDLE COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Karen Lessler, Ed.D., President
Susan Jacobson, Vice President
Arlene Barresi
Doreen Feldmann
Nicholas Caracappa
Carmel Fitzpatrick
Deborah Felber
Kristopher Oliva
James Pendola
We hope we can count on your support! Thank you!
In today's NEWSDAY, the Superintendent of my district, Middle Country, was quoted on how the district will have to either enlarge kindergarten classes or speed up plans to phase out high school French courses to find money for remedial tutoring. I'm not sure where or how to start fighting this, it sounds like decisions have already been made.
A wiki created by Kenneth Hughes of NYSAFLT as a forum to save all French programs in NY.
Please also note the Facebook group created (I believe by students at SUNY-Albany), where you can be informed about the planned changes at SUNY-Albany: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=108346255894946
Thomas C. Spear, Professor of French
Lehman College and The Graduate Center
The City University of New York (CUNY)
Ressources Internet Francophones | Online Resources in French : www...
Île en île : www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile
Laura MARTIN said:
La suggestion qu'on devrait penser en avance et avoir des plans prets à mettre en oeuvre ne doit pas se prendre comme un attaque. Si on n'a pas des plans pour l'avenir, le programme du français pourrait être rétabli, et on aboutirait au même endroit dans quatre ans. Oui, il faut immédiatement agir pour rétablir le programme, mais soyons positives: qu'est-ce que vous allez faire après? Qu'est-ce que les autres programmes - qui pourraient être bientôt dans la même situation - peuvent faire pour l'éviter?
May I suggest that you are in touch with the American Association of Teachers of French (www.frenchteachers.org). AATF has a detailed Advocacy program and can connect you to strategies and a network of people who can perhaps guide you in this process. Please see: French Advocacy Wiki https://frenchadvocacy.wikispaces.com. "Tennesse Bob" Peckham provides information to support French programs at all levels. His email is bobp@utm.edu. You can find a link to the Advocacy Depot at www.frenchteachers.org. Regrettably New York is one of many states that does not have a state advocacy website. However, there is a NEW YORK NEEDS FRENCH www.utm.edu/staff/globeg/nyadvocat.html
Begin here, I think you will find AATF very helpful.
Bon courage,
Connie Fredericks-Malone
We must get to the public to help them understand the benefits of learning a language other than English, and in the case of French the usefulness that French provides in the work force. The focus of higher education today appears to be job acquisition and if we cannot make a case for the advantages that a proficiency in French can bring to the job market I am afraid that it does not bode well for us...
In an effort to provide more information for protesting this frightful situation in Albany, here are some more contact e-mails that can be used:
President George M. Phillip: presmail@uamail.albany.edu
Vice President for Communications and Marketing Catherine Herman: cherman@uamail.albany.edu
Dean of Arts and Sciences Edelgard Wulfert ewulfert@uamail.albany.edu
UUP (United University Professions) Albany Chapter president Candace Merbler at cmerbler@uamail.albany.edu (the union representing SUNY Albany faculty)
Albany Times Union newspaper at tucitydesk@timesunion.com and/or Joann Crupi at jcrupi@timesunion.com
Chair of Languages Literatures and Cultures Jean-François Brière (jfbriere@albany.edu).
SUNY Albany French Professor Brett Bowles (bbowles@albany.edu)
Here is my blog post on this issue: http://wp.me/p13PvH-gM
It is entitled: "French? Need Not Apply."
Michael Lancer