The Lumberjack

Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Letters to the Editor

Dear Dean Snyder,

I was a German major. My research
field is German history. As you might
expect, I was profoundly disappointed to
hear that you are considering eliminating
the German program at Humboldt State.

At first the thought of eliminating
German at Humboldt State seemed tragic to me. I would have appealed to you to spare
German regardless of what I assumed
were a poor numerical cost/benefit ratio
and low enrollment. German should
continue to be offered for the sake of
intellectual and cultural diversity of Humboldt State, even if it were not cost effective. Even if they do not enroll well, eliminating foreign language and exchange programs in an age of globalization would be an egregious misstep, especially in an area as provincial as Humboldt County.

Eliminating the German program would
impact not only the German students and
faculty but also everyone teaching or
studying any aspect European culture at
Humboldt State. From my perspective, German
students enrich my European history
courses in a way not measurable by any
numerical cost/benefit analysis, and
eliminating the German program would
deprive me of the colleagues whom I work most closely.

On a personal note, the grounding in a foreign language and culture that I took away from studying German as an undergraduate (including studying in Germany) was the foundation of my subsequent success as a historian.
By eliminating the German program you
would effectively preclude any of my
students at Humboldt State from ever doing what I have done. Were there to be no place at Humboldt State for German, then I would
have to question whether there is really a
place at Humboldt State for me.

Now I have learned that the German
program's enrollment and student-to-
faculty numbers are better than most of
the rest of the college. Before, I saw
cutting an under-enrolled, and relatively
expensive, program as tragic. Now, I see
amputating a healthy and cost-effective
program as entirely nonsensical.

I will not presume to tell you how to run
the college. I am well aware of the
damage already done by the last rounds of
budget cuts, and I readily recognize that
the other potential remedies for the
college's continuing budget maladies are
appalling. Nonetheless, for my part, I
would much prefer to see budget cuts
spread across the college (including
History) rather than the sacrifice of the
German program.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools