CORRECTION APPENDED (SEE BELOW)

In an editorial published in Monday’s edition of The News (“President Aoun making no faculty friends”), there are several points that should be clarified. First, the characterization of the faculty as a bloc that is entirely dissatisfied does not, in our opinion, capture the truth of the situation. While there are issues that are being addressed, the blanket statement that “the faculty isn’t happy” is just not accurate. More specifically, statements were made that suggested that an entire department (Modern Languages) was moved into the School of Professional and Continuing Studies (SPCS) without consulting the faculty. We wish to correct this factual inaccuracy. The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the SPCS, entered into a cooperative agreement to create a World Language Center at Northeastern dedicated to the teaching of languages. The goal of the World Languages Center is to expand the number of languages offered at Northeastern to between 25 and 30, increase the availability of language sections, ensure that two full years of each language will be offered and increase the number of full-time faculty to teach those languages. The World Languages Center (WLC) is administered by SPCS, but CAS and other full-time students enroll to receive basic and intermediate language instruction. The faculty of the World Languages Center currently consists of 21 full-time faculty, most of whom have taught for years at Northeastern. This fall we added Swahili to the languages offered and were able to increase the number of sections of languages offered by 20 percent and enrollment in basic and intermediate language courses has also increased by 20 percent.

The department of modern languages remains in CAS with its faculty, staff and student majors. Modern language majors and minors take beginning and intermediate level language instruction in the WLC and continue to take all other courses for the major or minor in the modern languages department.

Our hope in creating the World Language Center was to respond to student demand for increased language instruction at Northeastern as signified by the popularity of NUCALLS, a student-created organization. It promotes student-to-student language learning. In fact, members of NUCALLS’ executive board sit on the advisory board of the WLC. Also, the entire effort was discussed several times in the College Council of CAS and although no vote was taken on this administrative re-organization, there was consultation with that body.

– James Stellar is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Christopher Hopey is the vice-president of the Adult and Continuing Education ‘ Dean of SPCS and Dennis Cokely is the director of the World Languages Center and chair of the Modern Languages Department.

(Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this submission than what was intended for publication appeared in the print edition of The News.)