Proposed merger lies in hands of few

Author: SHEILA BAMBFORD PULVER 74'

As a graduate of Middlebury College with a major in American Literature, I have written three letters to President Liebowitz and the alumni magazine in protest of the proposed changes to Middlebury College's unique American Literature department which would, in essence, amount to its demise. The only response I've received thus far was from the vice president for Academic Affairs, who is coincidentally also a member of the English Department and supports the proposal. She politely assured me that the current faculty would discuss the issue thoroughly and openly and come to the wisest decision. Unfortunately, I doubt the veracity of that statement.

From the beginning, the entire process of "merging" the American Literature and English Departments has been anything but open. Due to perceived inequities in their teaching load and unhappiness with the underlying historical/cultural context of the department's courses, several American Literature professors went behind the backs of the two most senior professors in the department to conspire with members of the English Department on proposed changes that would, rather than merge the two departments, effectively obliterate the American Literature Department.

Furthermore, the senior American Literature professors were informed in writing that only "constructive" comments would be allowed in discussing the proposal, and it was presented to the faculty as a virtual fait accompli. The informed opinions of former American Literature faculty and alumni were not sought or seriously considered despite a flood of protests, nor was input elicited from current students. The responsibility for instigating such a momentous decision seems to rest in the hands of a few American Literature professors who demonstrate no clear understanding of the integrity of their own academic discipline, the importance of this unique department at Middlebury College, or how to initiate academic change in a respectful and open manner.

Middlebury is the only college I know of that has a separate department in American Literature and a proud heritage of passing on to its majors a deep, comprehensive knowledge of a body of writing, with the recognition that it shares roots and a language with England, but springs from an inner and outer landscape of place, people and experience that is utterly distinct. The College is renowned for its prominence in the study of American literature, including the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference that Robert Frost helped to found and held forth at for many years - his cabin still stands in a clearing there - which has attracted an honor roll of American writers.

The new proposal for a "combined" major in English and American literature would make no substantive changes to the former requirements for a major in English literature, but would drastically diminish the American literature component by requiring merely two courses of the student's choosing in American literature. Students with a combined major could graduate without ever reading Emily Dickenson, Mark Twain, Herman Melville, Robert Frost or Toni Morrison. In effect, American literature would become a subspecialty of English literature such as Shakespearean drama, literature of gender or the coming-of-age novel .

I am deeply chagrined that the College would dismantle such a unique and distinguished department that has been an integral part of the Middlebury curriculum for many years, on the whim of a few professors whose tenure has been relatively brief, without truly open discussion among not only the current faculty but also past faculty and department majors who surely care deeply about the study of American literature at Middlebury and may also have a different, perhaps more far-sighted perspective.