Save Modern Greek at Cornell

We, the undersigned, protest the potential discarding of the Modern Greek language program in the College of Arts and Sciences. While we understand that there exist limitations as to what courses the university can offer, we respectfully urge the administration to strongly reconsider its intentions to discontinue offering Modern Greek for the following reasons:

It is our contention that the plan to discard the program is based on the notion that students have not shown significant interest in the program. However, we believe that this perceived lack of interest is actually the product of the lack of consistency of the Modern Greek program in the past several years. As is the case with many lesser-taught languages at Cornell, Modern Greek will always have a steady constituency of dedicated students who will have the desire to learn the language. Therefore, it is critical that the University provides the continuity of course offerings necessary to support this constituency and live up to its guiding principle of being an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.

We urge the University to recognize the far-reaching effects of discarding the program. Hellenic heritage students at Cornell who wish to learn the language will feel a profound loss if the university turns its back on the program, and many students who wish to learn Modern Greek for interdisciplinary reasons would suffer as well. In addition, the program serves as a venue through which students can immerse themselves in the Hellenic culture, and it is surely one of the things that keep Hellenic culture thriving on campus. Therefore, discarding the program would deal a blow to the Hellenic community of Cornell and the greater Ithaca area, which supports a large Greek-American constituency. Finally, it should be noted that many other universities around the country have recently discarded their Modern Greek language programs. Consequently, this is a defining moment and opportunity for Cornell to distinguish itself by protecting the future of Modern Greek in all of higher education.

We urge the College of Arts and Sciences to reinstate the Modern Greek program and take a leadership role by implementing the necessary measures to ensure its continuity. In doing so, the administration will be doing a great service not only for the students who have a vested interest in the program, but also the greater Cornell community by allowing a shining example of Cornells diversity to continue thriving now and for years to come.