LINGUIST List 3.313

Sun 05 Apr 1992

FYI: Yale, Media, Libraries, Thanks

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Larry Horn, The last word on Yale linguistics...NOT
2. Judith Levi, linguists in the media
3. RUTH, Thanks
4. Katherine Elizabeth Krohn , Libraries

I wanted to update listees--especially those who wrote support letters on our
behalf, for which I offer a blanket gratitude--on what's been happening.
Things are in fact looking up, especially for the long run. The initial
recommendations of the Restructuring Committee arose strong and general
opposition from the faculty, leading to the appointment of a faculty review
committee to look into both the Restructuring Committee report and an
earlier financial white paper on the extent of the budget crisis at Yale.
This new committee actually read all the documents we could never get the
Provost and his restructurers to look at, approached the past decisions and
future possibilites with an open mind, and produced a well argued and clearly
written report (again in contradistinction to the Restructuring Committee).
And all within three weeks! The review committee criticized the process and
overturned the recommendations of the restructuring committee, and in
particular adopted our arguments that the recommendation to discontinue
Linguistics was arrived at through misinformation and lack of consultation,
and that no action should be taken without the evaluation of the program by
an interdivisional ad hoc internal committee, preferably in consultation
with an external committee as well.
 Since then, two more shoes have dropped: first, the Restructuring
process has claimed its first victim--the Provost resigned, effective July 1.
(He will be replaced by Graduate Dean Judith Rodin, who at least has the
reputation of being a consensus builder rather than a confrontationist.)
Second, the President, just two days ago, accepted the new faculty committee
report and promised to take no action against any targeted department,
including linguistics, until after review by a committee to be appointed. So
the good news is that we're still alive. The bad news is that we've lost
several graduate students and one faculty member, all of whom applied
elsewhere as they were encouraged to do and received offers they couldn't
refuse. We had already had admissions suspended for next year, but we will
fight to have that reversed next year, so until you hear further you should
assume that Yale Linguistics WILL be admitting students for 1993-94. And
thanks again for your support, which I think really did make a difference in
demonstrating to the review committee the folly of the action recommended by
the Restructurers.

For those of you who liked the recent note from Mark Sebba about press
reports (in the Guardian) on a recent case involving forensic linguistics,
stay tuned for a forthcoming article in the New York Times Magazine on
(US) linguists who have testified in legal cases. The article, by Ann
(Anne?) Matthews of Princeton University, has been submitted for editorial
approval, which is pending. I'll send another note to LINGUIST when we
have a definite publication date.

I would like to thank the rather
large number of people on the Linguist mailservice who responded to my query
regarding prehistory language sources. Some of them, whom I know personally,
I have managed to answer individually (though I do not know if my message
reached you, Paul Bloom, it kept getting kicked back here). I was
glad, too, to receive such helpful comments (and a detailed set of references)
from people like John Limber and Laurie Bauer, whose work I know in very
different connections. Thank you once again.
Ruth Berman, Tel Aviv University

 This notice should be of interest to everyone who uses libraries,
or whose students do. The American Library Association (ALA) will
be making a proposal to Congress this month, asking that libraries
receive full funding. The former have set up a toll-free 'phone
line to collect suporters' names. The call is free, takes 20 seconds,
and will be answered by live volunteers, not a recording. Please
call

 1 (800) 530-8888

You will be asked to respond "yes" or "no" to their statement of
policy, and asked if you will permit your name to be used in their
resolution. Please call now; the cut-off date for this line is
APRIL 11. Please encourage your students/colleagues to call.
(Many thanks to ANSAXNET which posted this message.)

--Katie Krohn
 Texas A & M University
 kkrohntamuts.tamu.edu