Letter to the Editor: Errors in ‘Students Demand Clarity on UMass’ Decision to Cut Four Skilled Arabic language program’

Dear Editors,

I’m writing to express my disappointment with the errors in a recently published piece "Students Demand Clarity on UMass’ Decision to Cut Four Skilled Arabic language program.” Not only were there factual errors in the piece but UMass was not called for comment or fact-checking purposes. 

Here’s what is accurate: Five Colleges, Inc. (UMass, Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke and Hampshire) discontinued and withdrew its funding of the Four Skilled Arabic program due to low enrollment. This program was neither fully funded by nor administered by UMass. No UMass program, credential, or certificate in Arabic has been discontinued, and no one has been fired.  Arabic continues to be offered on our campus by a professor of Arabic in the department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies who offers courses in elementary, intermediate, and advanced Arabic. Additionally, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts has funded additional teaching assistants to provide 10 hours a week in supplemental Arabic instruction, including conversation and drills. Four Skilled Arabic courses are also available at Smith College through the Five College Consortium.

Lastly, given the editorial language in the article and the author’s own connection to the matter, I’m surprised it was labeled as a “Features” instead of an opinion piece.

Thank you,

Emily Gest

Vice Chancellor for News and Media Relations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst