The program coordinators will soon be relocated (against their wishes) from offices on the 5th floor of Becker Library, to cubicles – possibly as soon as the end of the month.

The ability to see our program coordinators in their office at a whim – for privacy and confidentiality – has been an invaluable resource for many.

The loss of an office and closed environment – and the forced relocation to office cubicles – will discourage these discussions for a number of students. But even more so, this issue is about making it known that program coordinators are valuable and appreciated.

This move from offices to cubicles is not only a downgrade in space and privacy, but is also an affront to the respect they deserve - and illustrates a blindness to the role that these coordinators play in the life of graduate students and graduate school as a whole.

The program coordinators are an interface between program administration and the difficulties of graduate school, and many of us would say that the program coordinators are an essential interface.

Many have found meetings with their coordinators to be helpful in dealing with the difficulties of graduate school – and a number of students have stayed in the program as a direct result of these discussions.

If you have had a positive experience, and your program coordinator has provided you support in the past, this is your opportunity to show them your support.

To be clear, this is scheduled to happen without their consent – and soon.

Please see the attached link to the online petition – to add your name and express your dissatisfaction with this upcoming plan as soon as possible. We plan to send this petition to the Dean Russell on Friday, October 14.

If you agree, please send/forward this email to any DBBS students who may want to add their name to the petition.

Thank you for your time and with your help we may be able to help the program coordinators as they have helped so many of us.