The Provost's Office confirmed today that they have authorized a new permanent faculty line for a Yoruba language professor starting next academic year. I am currently coordinating with the Africana Studies department to ensure the hiring search begins immediately. We will monitor the search process to confirm the final appointment …
August 16, 2019
Final supporters
This petition is for the Provost's Office of Brown University to create a faculty line in either the Center for Language Studies (CLS) or the Africana Studies Department for a permanent Yoruba language professor. The two-year-old Yoruba Language course is currently the only African language offered at Brown, meaning that if Brown is unwilling to hire a professor for the Yoruba language program, the university will regress back to having no African languages offered at Brown.
Since September of 2017 Brown University has offered a Yoruba language course through a shared course initiative with Cornell University which was taught by a remote instructor. This course was the only African language offered during this time at Brown and was the result of student organizing from proposals to professor searches. In the following two years, student organizers worked with the university to move past the temporary shared course initiative and towards hiring a permanent Yoruba language professor at the University. In May of 2019 organizers were notified that the shared course initiative would not be offered and the Yoruba course would no longer be offered even though the course reached maximum enrollment and students expressing additional interest in pre-registration alone.
Within an institution that so publicly values diversity and inclusion, we find the lack of commitment and funding to African languages at Brown disheartening. Students should not have to convince an institution as globally minded and "inclusive" as Brown University of the need for African languages, especially when languages as diverse and esoteric as Sanskrit and Hieroglyphics are already offered. The university should be eager to join peer institutions such as Harvard University and Boston University in offering robust African Language programs, particularly with the inter-disciplinary focus and global scope intended in the Watson Institute's new International and Public Affairs concentration.
We hope that getting a permanent on-site professor for the existing Yoruba course will be a pivotal step towards building an African language program and pushing Brown closer to its vision of being a globally-minded institution that fosters diversity and inclusion. Please sign to join us in this call for action!
Updates
June 1, 2019
I am currently finalizing a formal proposal to be submitted directly to the Provost's Office regarding the necessity of a permanent faculty line. I have scheduled meetings with department heads to discuss funding models that move beyond the current shared course initiative. Expect a summary of these administrative discussions once the initial round of consultations concludes.
Reached 100 supporters
June 1, 2019
8 Comments
My family is nigerian and i was really hoping to take this class. Brown needs to do better and actually invest in these programs instead of just talking about it.
its honestly embarrassing that a school with these resources cant keep one single african language on the schedule. stop acting like diversity is a priority when you cut classes like this.
The threat of losing the only African language taught on campus coupled with the Watson's decision to change language requirements to "optional" demonstrates how Brown is on the path to lose the diversity and global presence it should support, not eliminate.
Learning the language of a region is critical to students' appreciation of its culture and affairs. In denying Brown students the opportunity to engage with materials in Yoruba, the university obscures African voices in its curriculum.
It is essential that a school like Brown offers languages from the Africana Diaspora, not just Eurocentric languages. Taking away Yoruba means that we are reverting back to Eurocentricity and that is something that will not be accepted.
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The Provost's Office confirmed today that they have authorized a new permanent faculty line for a Yoruba language professor starting next academic year. I am currently coordinating with the Africana Studies department to ensure the hiring search begins immediately. We will monitor the search process to confirm the final appointment …
August 16, 2019
Final supporters
This petition is for the Provost's Office of Brown University to create a faculty line in either the Center for Language Studies (CLS) or the Africana Studies Department for a permanent Yoruba language professor. The two-year-old Yoruba Language course is currently the only African language offered at Brown, meaning that if Brown is unwilling to hire a professor for the Yoruba language program, the university will regress back to having no African languages offered at Brown.
Since September of 2017 Brown University has offered a Yoruba language course through a shared course initiative with Cornell University which was taught by a remote instructor. This course was the only African language offered during this time at Brown and was the result of student organizing from proposals to professor searches. In the following two years, student organizers worked with the university to move past the temporary shared course initiative and towards hiring a permanent Yoruba language professor at the University. In May of 2019 organizers were notified that the shared course initiative would not be offered and the Yoruba course would no longer be offered even though the course reached maximum enrollment and students expressing additional interest in pre-registration alone.
Within an institution that so publicly values diversity and inclusion, we find the lack of commitment and funding to African languages at Brown disheartening. Students should not have to convince an institution as globally minded and "inclusive" as Brown University of the need for African languages, especially when languages as diverse and esoteric as Sanskrit and Hieroglyphics are already offered. The university should be eager to join peer institutions such as Harvard University and Boston University in offering robust African Language programs, particularly with the inter-disciplinary focus and global scope intended in the Watson Institute's new International and Public Affairs concentration.
We hope that getting a permanent on-site professor for the existing Yoruba course will be a pivotal step towards building an African language program and pushing Brown closer to its vision of being a globally-minded institution that fosters diversity and inclusion. Please sign to join us in this call for action!
Updates
June 1, 2019
I am currently finalizing a formal proposal to be submitted directly to the Provost's Office regarding the necessity of a permanent faculty line. I have scheduled meetings with department heads to discuss funding models that move beyond the current shared course initiative. Expect a summary of these administrative discussions once the initial round of consultations concludes.
Reached 100 supporters
June 1, 2019
8 Comments
Yoruba is a major African language spoken in major West African countries, namely Nigeria. The National Security Education Program considers Yoruba to be a critical language. Brown has the chance to be a leader in language education by offering this important world language!
My family is nigerian and i was really hoping to take this class. Brown needs to do better and actually invest in these programs instead of just talking about it.
its honestly embarrassing that a school with these resources cant keep one single african language on the schedule. stop acting like diversity is a priority when you cut classes like this.
The threat of losing the only African language taught on campus coupled with the Watson's decision to change language requirements to "optional" demonstrates how Brown is on the path to lose the diversity and global presence it should support, not eliminate.
Learning the language of a region is critical to students' appreciation of its culture and affairs. In denying Brown students the opportunity to engage with materials in Yoruba, the university obscures African voices in its curriculum.
It is essential that a school like Brown offers languages from the Africana Diaspora, not just Eurocentric languages. Taking away Yoruba means that we are reverting back to Eurocentricity and that is something that will not be accepted.
Hire him
This is important!
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Yoruba is a major African language spoken in major West African countries, namely Nigeria. The National Security Education Program considers Yoruba to be a critical language. Brown has the chance to be a leader in language education by offering this important world language!