State of Affairs

This semester had so much potential.  Knowing that my time at LSU was limited, I was going to spend this semester teaching my three classes and the rest of my time in the library working on publications.  It was a beautiful plan - if only it had been put into practice!

When 13 of my colleagues and I were fired on August 27, I figured "well, that's life." But the more I spoke with my colleagues, the more we couldn't understand why this was happening to us and why the administration thought it was acceptable What has consumed nearly every waking moment for the past two months is summarized at www.flxiv.blogspot.com.

I have been fighting this battle since May.  You can see some of my previous attempts to avert the disaster which has come to pass here and here and here.  At this point, we have exhausted all of our options.  And unless there is a deus ex machina, I will be officially unemployed in 89 days.

The worst part is that my marketable skills are limited to experience I obtained over 15 years ago as a legal and medical secretary.  So I enrolled in the H&R Block tax course.  The class meets 9 hours a week and has consumed the rest of my free time.  If I pass the class, I should have a job from January to April.  After that is anybody's guess.

I am spending the next 36 hours working on my CV so I can apply for jobs in the U.S. - jobs that won't officially begin until Fall 2011, but deadlines for which begin in November.  All that energy I channeled into the Foreign Language Fourteen is now shifted to salvaging my academic career.  The research component will have to wait until after my tax course, which ends November 23.

Not my normally cheery post, but there's really not much to be cheery about, my friends. I'll leave you with a quote that pretty much sums up the situation:

"A degree in classics teaches you how to live
without the job it keeps you from getting." 

- David Meadows

recuperate regroup & recoup

On Thursday the Chair of my department sent an email to me and 13 of my colleagues inviting us to a meeting with the Dean on Friday.  We knew it was bad news because not all instructors in the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures were on the cc: list.  The Dean waltzed in and said "There's no good way to tell you what I have to tell you, so I'm just going to be brutal.  The University has decided to enforce the letters you received in January.  In other words, as of January 2011 you no longer have a job at LSU."

While this was expected, it was heartbreaking to see all the people, most of whom have spent their entire professional career teaching Louisiana's students, grasp the implications of this blunt announcement.  The usual questions were asked aloud:  "What will happen to the students?" "Are we eligible for unemployment?" "What were the criteria for retaining some of the instructors?"  But there were individual questions that were left unasked:  "How will I make my house payments?" "How will I feed my five children and send them to college?" "How will my chronic health issues be treated without insurance?"

Most of us are in the same boat:  we were hired to teach.  We were not expected to do research and publish to keep our jobs. We taught onerous course loads and some of us taught a new class practically every semester. Our "research" was done to present the material for our students but it was never published.  This means each one of us will enter the job search without the basic credentials that separate the candidates into Pile A and Pile B.  I've been through this before:  No one will even look at my application and I will receive a form rejection letter.  This despite the fact that I can teach Latin and Greek and Classical Studies and German and I have experience in residential colleges, academic advising and study abroad.

I'm taking this weekend off to recuperate (I've been sick for a week) and regroup.  Monday morning will find me recouping my losses.  Words of encouragement strongly desired!

Open Letter to the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Citizens of Louisiana

(Note:  this letter was sent twice to The Advocate and was never published.  As of October 23, 2010 the proposal by Chancellor Martin had not been approved by the Board of Supervisors.  The firing of 14 foreign language instructors was precedented on this approval.)

Chancellor Martin's letter (June 23) was full of doom and gloom, but he makes his proposed cuts to the Humanities and other programs at LSU sound like a fait accompli.  These cuts still must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, which meets on July 15, and by the Board of Regents.  

I call upon the members of these Boards to keep in mind that Humanities are the basis of the modern university.  By recently renaming the college the "College of Humanities and Social Sciences" President Lombardi reaffirmed the University's commitment to the Humanities, which may be defined as the interdisciplinary study of languages, literatures, history, philosophy, religion, art and culture of ancient and modern civilizations--in other words, all the facets which define us as humans.  The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, which has been singled out in Phase One for the elimination of two BA programs and the reduction of language choices, fosters communication  and understanding between cultures  and within our own.  These are skills that our students need to compete in an increasingly global job market.  The elimination of languages and other Humanities-based programs will limit the opportunities for our graduates, and is bound to reduce the number of international students and international researchers who are awarded grants that bring money and international recognition to Louisiana State University.  If you blast the foundation of a university education with such tactics, the rest of the institution is sure to crumble.

Furthermore, I call on the citizens of Louisiana to protest these cuts by writing to the Board of Supervisors (addresses can be found on the LSU website at http://www.lsusystem.edu/boardofsupervisors/).  If we react by doing nothing, Chancellor Martin and the rest of the administration will gladly accept their Pyrrhic victory and the southern tradition of a classical, Humanities-based education will perish.  

Sincerely, JKS

Pro Lingua Latina (or: In defense of Foreign Languages and Literatures)

2 June 2010

Michael V. Martin, Chancellor

156 Thomas Boyd Hall

Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

Dear Chancellor Martin,

            Surely you, the Chancellor entrusted with the integrity of this institution as the Flagship University in the state of Louisiana, cannot agree with or support the recommendations of the planning task force that the BA programs in Latin and German at Louisiana State University be eliminated and that language options in general be reduced.  It is my experience as a life-long member of the academic community and of LSU's faculty for the past ten years that task forces often make decisions that look good on paper but have disastrous consequences for higher education in practice.  I urge you, therefore, to reexamine your proposal to the Board of Supervisors in light of the following considerations.

            The name of our college has just been changed to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  In his email to faculty Dean Foster stated:  "Our College has been around since 1908, our social science disciplines for well over a century, and the humanities for millennia... Maintaining and expanding our tradition of excellence is the important thing."  Latin and Greek form the basis of the humanities, which may be defined as the interdisciplinary study of languages, literatures, history, philosophy, religion, art and culture of ancient and modern civilizations.  By eliminating the Latin and German BA degrees and reducing the language choices through the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, LSU would effectively be undermining the entire humanities-based education on which the concept of the modern university was founded. 

            Our world is becoming increasingly global, and the modern university should instruct its students in global communication.  Contrary to popular belief, English is not the international language of business and politics. In order to foster business and foreign relations with other countries, we should be well-versed in the subtleties of language and the differences between cultures.  How will our students learn this with the proposed reductions to a department in which not only language courses but courses in culture as well are taught?  Furthermore, the ability to read and communicate in a variety of languages enhances research and cross-cultural enterprises, thereby increasing the skills of our students for their chosen professions.  The elimination of languages at this large research institution will limit the opportunities for our graduates, and is bound to reduce the number of international students and international researchers who are awarded grants that bring money and international recognition to Louisiana State University.

            So what does international business and politics have to do with a BA in Latin?  Latin teaches the basics of English grammar and expression which are no longer taught as part of the basic high school or college curriculum. For the Greeks and Romans, the study of rhetoric was the cornerstone of formal education because the ability to communicate determined your success as a military leader, politician, lawyer, or poet.  Students graduating from LSU should be able to express themselves in a way that reflects the high standards of language and communication of this institution.  Sadly, the dominance of electronic communication has seriously weakened rhetorical standards across the nation and many of our students lack the skills to communicate effectively in the professional world.  And if students are not able to communicate effectively in their own language, how will they be able to compete in world where people are trained to speak two, three, even four languages?

            The study of Latin at its most basic level provides students with an awareness of the correct method of expression in their own language and a vocabulary suited for intellectual discussion, thereby improving these crucial communication skills.  Latin also teaches problem-solving that approaches the level of mathematics, and the study of classical civilizations leads to an understanding of the principles on which our Western culture is based.  Students graduating from an American university should be aware that our founding fathers were well-versed in the classics, and that our legal system, history, literature and art are inextricably linked to the civilizations of the Greeks and Romans.

            It is my understanding that Louisiana State University is currently defending its accreditation through SACS.  While there is no stated language requirement in SACS' Principles of Accreditation, paragraph 2.7.3 clearly requires a general education component, including courses from the humanities  which will ensure a "breadth of knowledge" and which "do not narrowly focus on those skills, techniques, and procedures specific to a particular occupation or profession."  The reduction of programs and languages in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures would dramatically reduced the already low number of General Education Humanities courses available to satisfy this accreditation requirement. 

            The elimination of any language at a large, internationally-supported research institution such as LSU does not belong in Phase One of the process to reduce costs, even in the face of severe financial crisis.  Your email of 24 May even indicates that the savings to the University with full implementation of this plan would be $1.5 million, a drop in the bucket compared with the $43 million cuts the University has received during the past academic year.  If you blast the foundation of a university education with such tactics, the rest of the institution is sure to crumble.

            Chancellor Martin, stand up for the University, stand up to the nay-sayers who tell you that humanities are of tertiary importance in the scheme of higher education.  Reconsider your recommendation to the Board of Supervisors and fight to keep the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and its programs intact and central to a meaningful educational experience at Louisiana State University. 

Sincerely,

JKS

Instructor of Classics

A Call to Arms

Dear Colleagues,

It is clear from the correspondence we've received that Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Swahili are all at risk of reduction or discontinuation at LSU. 

We have long received mixed messages about language instruction at this institution.  On the one hand, the name of the college has recently been changed to the "College of Humanities and Social Sciences."  I wonder what the administration thinks the term humanities includes, if not the study of Latin, Greek, classical studies, and the languages and literatures of the world? 

On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures receives virtually no funding for the advertisement and continuation of their programs.  At Fall Fest, the department is allotted one table to advertise all foreign languages and no money has ever been made available for posters, banners, professional brochures and other promotional and recruiting materials.  Likewise, there is no departmental funding available for receptions, awards ceremonies, or regular get-togethers between students and faculty.  Many of us are willing to contribute to these things from our own pockets once a year, yet to sustain a program takes many hundreds (not millions) of dollars and the continued dedication of all foreign language faculty members. 

The discontinuation of comparative literature last fall, the announcement of instructor cuts in January and now the suggested elimination of language programs and offerings seem to be the calculated steps in devaluing the importance of the humanities, which is a disturbing trend across the nation.  The University claims $1.5 million dollars could be saved with full implementation of their plan to eliminate programs in Latin, German, Library Science and to reduce language options.  That's a drop in the bucket compared to the $43 million dollars in budget cuts the University has received over the past year.

It is convenient that this decision comes at the beginning of the summer when most of us are off campus pursuing research or recovering from the last academic year.  Many of us are too busy or unwilling to challenge the administration, many of us think that this is simply another threat to the legislature, many of us consider these decisions a fait accompli.  But if we react by doing nothing, the administration will gladly accept their victory. 

In light of these facts, how many of you are willing to fight?  I admit it would be easier to channel my energy into applying for jobs in places which understand the value of a classical education.  But I feel loyalty to the concept of a university as an institution founded on the study of the Greek and Latin languages and the literature, history and philosophy of the Greeks and Romans.  In the fragmented world in which we live, the study of languages and cultures shows us how human experience is interconnected and depends on communication.  If nothing else, this humanistic approach shows us that we are not the first to suffer a financial crisis or to be affected by natural disasters or to be forced into a war we feel is unnecessary.  We can learn so much about human relationships and responses if we take the wisdom of our predecessors to heart instead of labeling it the ramblings of an ancient or inferior civilization.  And you can never go wrong by fighting for what you believe in, even if you are unsuccessful in the attempt.

post tenebras spero lucem

"These are difficult and heart-wrenching decisions, but they are decisions that must be made in light of the current fiscal crisis. Academic programs recommended for closure include ... the Bachelor of Arts in German and Latin and the reduction of language options for a savings of approximately $1.5 million at full implementation." - Chancellor Mike Martin, Louisiana State University, 24 May 2010

Whiskey and Funerals

We buried Ms. Dottie last week... for those of you in the know, that's "Dottie with the Body." Dottie was a member of the Whiskey Widows, a select group of elderly women who lived in my old apartment complex. Ms. Dottie always introduced herself as "Hi, I'm Dottie... with the Body." Of course, she didn't introduce herself to me that way, but rather to the attractive young man who was helping me move in. Dottie was a bit of a flirt :-)

When I first arrived, I was greeted by a neighbor who said, "We have cocktails every day at 5:00 pm at Ms. Verone's. You have a standing invitation to join us." Ms. Verone was the widow of the lieutenant governor under Earl K. Long. She was in her mid-80s and owing to a bum knee, she was virtually confined to her apartment (except when she ventured out in her indestructible Lincoln Town Car). Her social life was the cocktail hour, and she entertained us with stories of Louisiana politics, and fed us appetizers like olive cheese balls* and shrimp salad. On LSU game day, there was always a crowd at Ms. Verone's.

Carolyn, Dottie, Frances, Jerry, Sue, Nancy, Fred

For every Whiskey Widow there's a story: Ms. Frances was the daughter of a publisher and taught in the Baton Rouge schools even though she didn't need the money. She owned half a condo on the corner of Esplanade and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. She was very generous with the key, and I stayed there at least twice. Ms. Doris was the secretary for five Louisiana governors, including Jimmie Davis (who wrote "You are my Sunshine"). Sue B. also worked for the Baton Rouge schools trying to make a difference. There are two Ms. Margarets and a BeBe, and a number of us who just like to be inspired by these phenomenal women.

Because of their advanced age, the Whiskey Widows are becoming rarer and rarer. Verone died in 2005, the weekend of Hurricane Rita. Sue B. and I crashed her funeral (a long, sad story, best saved for another time). Ms. Frances died this past summer. And now Dottie... with the Body.

Contrary to their moniker, the Whiskey Widows prefer vodka martinis with a green cocktail tomato. Drink one this weekend in their honor, and to the health of those remaining!

Joey and Dottie

* Verone's Olive Cheese Balls:

½ lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick butter, chilled and shredded
1 ½ cups flour
cayenne pepper
worcestershire sauce
Jar of pimiento-stuffed olives

Combine the shredded cheddar cheese, the cold shredded butter, flour and cayenne pepper to taste. Prepare as for a pastry dough/pie crust, adding just enough worcestershire sauce to hold the mixture together. Wrap individual olives in the dough about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. TIP: These freeze well and can be reheated!

Meanwhile, back at LSU...

Today was the first day of classes at LSU. I left the house at 6:50 am, and arrived home at 6:10 pm. NOT my idea of fun! This is because my schedule has me teaching at 10:40 every day and until 4:30 every day except Fridays (when I get to leave at 3:30, woo hoo!) I will miss having Fridays off, but then, I don't have Mr. Scheer to arrange my schedule like he did for the last two years :-)

I've already met three of my classes and the biggest challenge so far seems to be Moodle, the online course "assistant" which would be fired if it was a human being. No one I've talked to likes it, neither faculty nor students. Oh, for the days of Semester Book!

I hope to be signing a lease tomorrow for an apartment on the LSU busline, so this traffic/parking nightmare will soon be a thing of the past!

Tell me a story...

When I set off to Austria in September 2007, I wanted to accomplish three things:

1) improve my German
2) discover if I could actually "live" in Austria
3) figure out what I want to be when I grow up

The easiest decision was #3. After a month or so of doing academic research, I realized that I don't need to be a professor at a high-powered research university to be happy. I'd much rather stand before a class of students and tell stories, and if that doesn't earn me the big bucks, well, I've proven that I can live comfortably on less than €1000 a month ($1300-1400 depending on the exchange rate). While I don't want to do academic research, I do want to write. So when I'm not at school I will be working on stories that have rattled around in my brain for far too long.

Integrating into the culture (#2) depends a lot on communication (#1). The first year in Austria all of my friends were either native English speakers, teachers of English, or people in the Enns Valley who spoke dialect nearly exclusively. It was frustrating to understand only 40% of the conversation.

What a difference a year makes! The adult English classes in Aigen gave me a chance to get to know people my own age who understood that communicating in a foreign language is difficult. I helped them with their English, and they helped me improve my German (or at least my Stoansteirisch!) I no longer sit silently in the corner because I can't follow the conversation. In fact, I might even tell a story or two!