February 10, 2023

Summary

I have some difficult news to share today. After a lengthy review and much internal discussion with faculty, we have made the painful decision to discontinue the German Studies major. We understand the hurt and frustration that come with such a transition, and we do not make this decision lightly or quickly. Discontinuing the major has been under discussion for years and in moving forward, we are being responsive to national and global changes in student demand, as well the increased need to meet external requirements set by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. For those who are curious about the process, degree program closures are implemented via the Institutional Change process.

Full Description

Dear all,

Educational opportunities for the students will not be affected. The German Studies minor is vibrant and will continue, as will the German language and literature program, study abroad, and the international house. All faculty positions will remain, and we will work with the faculty and students to ensure that declared majors graduate on time and have a full slate of courses available to them. We have added a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor to support this transition. Going forward, students will still be able to declare an interdisciplinary self-designed major focused on German Studies if they so wish. The department of Modern Languages and Literature currently has three language programs that solely offer a minor and contribute greatly to the academic vitality of the community at William & Mary. German will be no exception in that regard.

We are completely committed to German Studies as a vital part of our liberal arts and sciences curriculum. We are lucky to have such creative, determined and dedicated faculty in the German Studies program, and we are grateful for their patience and resilience as we begin this transition. They continue to build wonderful relationships with their students and they have a glowing future ahead at W&M. As we make this decision, we know we are united by the shared goal of positioning Arts & Sciences to thrive and grow and we look forward to the many creative courses our German Studies faculty will offer our students as we move into the next chapter.

Now, after this news, some announcements.

We are enormously grateful to the late Henry Rosovsky ’49 for a substantial unrestricted estate gift to Arts & Sciences. Dr. Rosovsky served as the Dean of Arts & Sciences at Harvard for many years, where he established ground-breaking undergraduate programs in Black Studies and Jewish Studies. We are proud to count such a pre-eminent scholar, teacher and administrator as one of our own, and we appreciate the loyalty he has shown over many years to William & Mary.

Don’t forget that applications to the A&S Faculty Grants Fund are due on March 1 for projects starting between July 1 and December 31.

On Thursday Feb. 16, novelist Colum McCann will deliver a keynote address titled, "How Storytelling Can Heal the World," from 7:00-8:00 PM in Commonwealth Auditorium. This event marks the inaugural address of the annual Arts & Sciences DEI Spring Speaker Series and is open to W&M students, staff, faculty and the public.

Finally, today is Charter Day, when we celebrate W&M’s 330th birthday. In addition to honoring the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and one of the commonwealth’s leading philanthropists, W&M will be recognizing the start of the 300th anniversary of the Brafferton Indian School. Delegations from area tribes will attend the ceremony, and portions of the W&M charter will be read by current Indigenous students. I encourage you to attend – 4:00 today at Kaplan Arena.

Best wishes to you all,

Suzanne

Suzanne Raitt

Acting Dean of Faculty for Arts & Sciences

Chancellor Professor of English

Pronouns: she/her/hers