College Confronts Student Summer Workers Over Language Pledge Language School administration seeks to reinforce language pledge to include English-speaking student summer workers. Workers believe this is a breach of their rights as Middlebury students

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Summer Workers Demand Respect from Language Schools
Vinay Jawahar '03

The slogan "No English Spoken Here," the Language Schools' pride and joy and raison d'etre, is a noble and praiseworthy ideal to aspire to. The Language Schools administration must be commended on its efforts to ensure that it describes Middlebury accurately during the summer.
It is pointless, however, to ignore the realities that require the presence of a significant number of people who have no reason to communicate in any language other than English: the College's summer student workers. Worse still is to ignore the fact that these people are an essential part of the success of the language program.
This past summer, around 240 students were on campus during the Language Schools sessions; in fact, a lot of them were here precisely because of Language Schools students. I think I speak for a majority of workers when I point out that we are not unaware of the generosity of the College and the convenience of having to pay low rent and work in a very agreeable environment.
I also believe I am right in suggesting that the Language Schools in particular, and the College in general, also benefit from our availability. Through the work done at Information Technology Services, in the library, at Media Services, in dining halls and in other, more subtle ways, we are responsible in large part for the running of these same Language Schools, providing support services to both faculty and students.
A number of times during the summer, however, the workers were subjected to rather high-handed and periodically rude behavior on the part of some members of the Language Schools.
The issue was always the use of English, and oftentimes the quibbles were valid — workers were being loud in a space that served primarily Language School students.
That being said, I find it extremely hard to find any justification for the manner in which these quibbles were handled on the part of the Language Schools. There seemed to be a complete denial on their part of the fact that the workers were students too, and that they deserved respect as people.
The workers' contracts require them to acknowledge the existence of the Language Schools students and faculty. They very accurately state: "While we recognize that the responsibility for adhering to the pledge rests with the Language School students themselves, you can help them, and us, by not initiating interaction."
The workers acknowledge their presence on campus, their legitimate status as members of the Middlebury community and our responsibilities, explicit or otherwise, towards them, both professionally and personally.
To disproportionately assign blame for infractions of the language pledge to the workers (as tends to happen over the summer) is most unfair, especially when a lot of Language Schools students are more than happy to break the pledge spontaneously, without interacting with summer workers.
In much the same way as we are informed about our obligations toward the Language Schools, it should be impressed upon the Schools that there are people on campus who are, in essence, not that different from any of them, and that it is not acceptable to treat workers like they do not have a right to be on campus.
That the Language School can essentially justify rude behavior toward the workers by stressing our status as staff members speaks volumes about our own treatment of the College's support staff during the regular school year.
Unfortunately, by defining the issue in semantic terms related to our "official" status, the Language Schools administration chose to bury its head in the sand and ignore the fact that there is actually a problem that needs to be resolved.
To get tied up in knots trying to define ourselves as staff or students is to lose sight of the problem at hand: the heavy-handed behavior, intentional or not, of a number of Language School students.
What logic deems it necessary for a student learning Chinese to come in contact with Russian as it is yelled across the hallowed halls of Hamlin, but causes the same Chinese school student to break out in hives upon having his hearing invaded by the jarring sounds of the English language?
Unless I misunderstood the language pledge, it is not an agreement that requires the most minimal contact with English, but rather an agreement that requires maximum contact with the chosen language of study. And, if this is true, why is it so much worse to hear English than any of the seven languages the student is not studying?
The obvious answer to me seems to be members of the Language Schools don't see themselves as an integral part of the larger Middlebury community, or don't acknowledge the workers' role in their experience. One way or the other, something needs to be done to address the issue, and willing to see that it actually exists seems like a logical first step.

Enforcing, Maintaining Language Pledge Imperative
Michael Katz, Dean of Middlebury College Language Schools

I have been invited to comment on the role of Middlebury students who remain on campus during the summer and are employed by the College during our Language Schools sessions.
I must start by saying, without reservation, that the tasks performed by these English-speaking workers in our libraries, dining halls, instructional technology, media services, etc., contribute enormously to the success of the Language Schools.
This summer, concerns surfaced between some summer workers and some Language Schools faculty and students. In early August, I met with a group of almost 25 student workers and student researchers for a conversation about ways to work more cooperatively in future summers. Charlene Bergland (Student Employment Coordinator), Kathy Foley-Giorgio (Associate Dean of Student Affairs), and Mariah McKechnie (Residential System Coordinator) were also present at the meeting.
I would like to reiterate some of the sentiments I shared at that meeting, which included my expression of sincere gratitude on behalf of all Language School staff, faculty and students for the work done by students who remain on campus for summer employment.
First, the 2002 Language Schools saw unusually strong enrollments (1,220 students and 200 faculty). As in past summers, we use both dormitories and dining rooms quite differently in the summer.
Some faculty lived in dorms; some students resided in single rooms; some dorm rooms serve as classrooms and offices; dining rooms were assigned to specific Schools at specific times. Every effort was made to provide an immersion environment in which only the language being studied is heard.
Next, I emphasized to those present at the meeting the crucial importance of our trademark Middlebury language pledge: what it is, how it works and why we have it. We offer a unique program that condenses two semesters of course work into one very intensive summer.
To make it possible for our students to learn so much in such short a time, we need to restrict the use of English on campus to help us maintain the integrity of our pledge in dining rooms, on patios, in dormitories and laundry rooms, at athletic facilities, etc. Our motto is "No English Spoken Here" and we try to deliver on that promise.
In fact, last summer's student evaluations cited the "effectiveness of the language pledge" as one of the most valuable attributes of the Middlebury summer experience.
Finally, I explained that although our summer workers are Middlebury students in the academic year, during the summer they fulfill a different role. The majority serve as temporary staff members.
The students in the summer are the people who enroll in our intensive language programs — going to classes (up to four hours a day), doing homework (an average of four to six hours a night), taking tests (usually weekly), earning degrees (M.A.s and D.M.L.s). Our role as staff members is to facilitate this e
ducational process.
The discussion that took place at our August meeting was quite spirited. We agreed upon on several steps to be taken next spring and summer. First, Language School's staff will work with Bergland to revise the wording of both the handbook for summer workers and the contracts they sign when accepting positions.
It will emphasize the importance of respecting the language pledge in all public settings on our campus. This new language should help student workers understand their obligations and our expectations.
Bergland and I will meet with our workers during June to open channels of communication, to explain the language pledge and to answer questions they might have. We are eager to hear from student workers about any other suggestions they have for improving the situation.
Middlebury students have an important role to play during the summer and I sincerely hope that they will continue to accept positions as temporary staff members and contribute to the success of the Language Schools.