BClosing of Modern Langs at Carleton/Fermeture des Langues modernes a Carleton (fwd)

[Shawn Huffman]

I am reforwarding this message since some have indicated that it has not
gone through.  This is a copy that Don Bruce sent out to the members of
the Canadian Semiotics Association de semiotique canadienne


CE MOT VIENT D'UN COLLEGUE EN ALLEMAND, ARND BOHM, A
l'UNIVERSITE CARLETON.

J'ENCOURAGE LES MEMBRES DE L'ACS A SOUTENIR NOS COLLEGUES EN LANGUES
MODERNES POUR ARRETER LA FERMETURE DE LEURS UNITES. ECRIVEZ UN MOT AUX
INDIVIDUS INDIQUES CI-DESSOUS POUR PROTESTER L'ABANDON DES LANGUES
MODERNES DANS LES</smaller> <smaller>UNIVERSITES CANADIENNES. L'ANNEE
DERNIERE ON A EU L'EXPERIENCE DE CONCORDIA OU ON A ESSAYE DE FERMER LE
PROGRAMME DE FRANCAIS (DANS UNE VILLE FRANCOPHONE!!), MAINTENANT ON
ESSAIE D'ELIMINER LES SCIENCES HUMAINES (DISCIPLINES INUTILES, CELA VA DE
SOI!!) A CARLETON.


THIS MESSAGE IS FROM OUR COLLEAGUE IN GERMAN STUDIES, ARND BOHM, AT
CARLETON UNIVERSITY.

 I ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS OF CSA  TO SUPPORT OUR COLLEAGUES IN MODERN
LANGUAGES AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY. SEND A MESSAGE TO THE UNIVERSITY
OFFICIALS INDICATED BELOW TO REGISTER YOUR PROTEST AGAINST THE
ABANDONMENT OF MODERN LANGUES IN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES. LAST YEAR WE HAD
THE EXAMPLE OF THE ATTEMPTED CLOSURE OF FRENCH STUDIES AT CONCORDIA (IN A
FRANCOPHONE CITY!!), NOW WE SEE AN ATTEMPT TO ELIMINATE CORE HUMANITIES
DISCIPLINES (USELESS THINGS THAT THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE!!) AT CARLETON.



>

>Dear Colleagues,

This is a short version of a longer text which I have already
sent but has not yet been distributed by the server.

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences convened a
meeting of the School of Languages, Literatures and Comparative Literary
Studies to announce that he would recommend to Senate the closure of all
our graduate and undergraduate programs in: German, Spanish, Italian,
Russian, Comparative

>Literature and Classics.

>       The reason given was financial: we are too expensive because the

>total enrolments are small. Without going into details, I assure you
that

>not only were the Dean's figures false, but that we are quite normal
in

>student numbers when compared across Canada and the USA. Despite
declining

>Arts enrolments, we have held steady. But no numbers we produce have
any

>impact. Our MA program has appraised well with the Ontario Council of

>Graduate Studies; academic quality is not the argument being used
against

>us.

>       To give you an idea of the "reasoning" at work, here is a

>quotation from the Ottawa Citizen, based on a press conference
President

>Van Loon held Nov. 20:

>       "The cuts must be made and job losses are inevitable he [Van Loon]

>said. `We can't play around with smoke and mirrors.' Some teachers who

>lose full-time jobs could return as sessional instructors, who will play
a

>larger part in teaching at the university. This would be a big cost

>saving, Mr. Van Loon said, since a sessional instructor is paid $7,000
to

>teach one course, while a tenured professor making $70,000 a year
might

>teach two courses."

>       Because of a special clause in our collective agreement, the

>closure of this program would mean that all 22 full-time faculty can
be

>declared redundant and laid off as of May 1, 1998, even though they
have

>tenure. Includes me, folks. Our faculty association feels that this
could

>be the test of a new model for reorganizing Ontario universities:
close

>individual programs and thereby circumvent tenure.

>       The Dean and Vice-President (Academic) are convinced that closing

>the language and literature programs (including Classics!) will not
have

>negative consequences for Carleton's image. I

>hope and believe that the German unit at Carleton has a good
reputation

>out there. If you could communicate that, as well as anything about
how

>such sweeping cuts might be seen across Canada in relation to
Carleton's

>image, it would be a help.

>       Because of the postal strike, and because the Senate will make its

>decision on November 28 (they moved the date ahead from Dec. 5!) I
would

>ask you to fax or e-mail the following people directly and immediately:

>       Dr. Richard Van Loon

>       President

>       Carleton University

>       fax: 613 520-4474

>       email: richard_van_loon at carleton.ca

>

>       Dr. J. W. ApSimon

>       Vice-President (Research and External)

>       Carleton University

>       fax: 613 520-2689

>       email: john_apsimon at carleton.ca

>

>       Dr. G.S. Adam

>       Vice-President (Academic)

>       Carleton University

>       fax: 613 520-2536

>       email: stuart_adam at carleton.ca

>

>       Dr. R.C. Blockley

>       Dean of Graduate Studies

>       Carleton University

>       fax: 613 520-4049

>       email: roger_blockley at carleton.ca

>

>If you email, add me to the

>list of addresses and I will forward copies to the other members of

>Senate:

>       arnd_bohm at carleton.ca

>

>Please give this appeal wide

>distribution. Many thanks, and best wishes, Arnd Bohm

>

</smaller>

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Prof. Donald Bruce

Secretary, ACS/CSA

Association candienne de sémiotique/Canadian Semiotic Association

Modern Languages and Comparative Studies

Arts 200

University of Alberta

Edmonton, AB    Canada   T6G 2E6

tel: (403) 492-1199  fax: (403) 492-2715

e-mail: don.bruce at ualberta.ca



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