Renew Giovanni Biasin's Contract with UC Berkeley

The petition

Barbara Spackman
Chair, Cecchetti Professor of Italian Studies
6303 Dwinelle Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
E-mail: spackman@berkeley.edu

Dear Professor Spackman,

We are students of UC Berkeley who wish to communicate to you the dismay we feel about the news that UC Berkeley Italian Studies Department has elected to let Lecturer Giovanni Biasin go.

The issue came to our attention via a group Facebook.com that calls itself “Save Giovanni Biasin!” as well as through other networks. Our concern is our own, and was in no way encouraged or fomented by Lecturer Giovanni Biasin.

We consider Giovanni Biasin to be one of the best, most accessible teachers on the UC Berkeley campus. His Italian courses truly inspire and engage students. He brings Italian language and culture to life in a way that few teachers can. We believe that the department's decision to restrict Lecturer Biasin from teaching for another term does a great disservice to current undergraduates and to the reputation of the Italian Studies Department.

We hope that you will recognize why Lecturer Biasin's students are so loyal. He is a great resource to UC Berkeley. As Chancellor Birgeneau has stated, "Any failure to lead as a pre-eminent . . . teaching university not only diminishes Berkeley but also diminishes the standards to which public education in this nation aspires." To limit students' access to Lecturer Biasin's inspirational teaching is to diminish the quality and reputation of the Department, the University, and public education in exactly this way. We therefore respectfully urge you to reverse the Italian Studies Department's decision to let Lecturer Biasin go.

Sincerely,

UC Berkeley students

Sign the petition

Fields marked  *  are required.

* Name:
* Email:
Comments:
	Display my name as anonymous on the signatures list
	Yes, I want iPetitions to contact me on similar campaigns or petitions.

 

The views expressed in this petition are solely those of the petition's sponsor and do not in any way reflect the views of iPetitions. iPetitions is solely a provider of technical services to the petition sponsor and cannot be held liable for any damages or injury or other harm arising from this petition. In the event no adequate sponsor is named, iPetitions will consider the individual account holder with which the petition was created as the lawful sponsor.