Guebert and Vazquez Protest Eliminating ESL Day Classes

The following letter raises a major issue that will soon be in front of the academic senate. Linda Guebert is the President of the MPFA. Laurie Vazquez is former senator and member of the MPFA..

TO: Gaither Loewenstein, Dean of Instruction

CC: Cheryl Howard, Virginia Wagner, Nancy McClelland, Anne Lindenfeld, Patricia Macdonald, Don Vasconcellos, Rick Stewart, Oscar deHaro, Academic Senate, MPFA executive

FROM: Linda Guebert and Laurie Vazquez

DATE: October 18, 1999

RE: ESL Program Changes

We are writing to protest the decision to reduce the ESL program by eliminating day classes in favor of all evening classes. We feel this disregards the needs of minority language students, and we are very concerned about the message it is sending to the community.

The proposed change will affect our students in day sections of English 7 and English 500, both of which have adequate enrollment. Many of these students work at night or are otherwise unable to attend evening classes. They are angry and distraught at not being allowed the opportunity to advance in their English studies. One student said that it was clear to her that the college just didn't care about them, the implication being that this is because they are Mexican.

We feel this decision was made without adequate consultation of ESL faculty, students, or the community affected. Neither of us was consulted about this monumental change to the program. Nor, as far as we know, was there any attempt to poll students or inform the community. if we had known this was being discussed, we could have found out through our contacts with students and in the community if a program of only evening classes was desirable. We are distressed to think that our participation was not solicited because we are part-time faculty members, despite the fact that none of the current English full-time faculty has a background in ESL or knowledge of the particular problems which face ESL students. Between us we have nearly 15 years experience at the college, and many more as ESL teachers. It seems to us that recommendations regarding ESL should not be made by the English department without our input and that of other ESL instructors.

We know there are concerns about low enrollment. We feel that ESL classes should be more flexible to allow for more students to enroll. Perhaps classes need to be started later in the fail to better accommodate agricultural workers, or students should be allowed to register late. Certainly, classes should not be canceled before the first meeting, as was done this fall with the evening section of English 7. Assistance in registration could be provided, as is done in Willits. We would like to see the college be very welcoming to this somewhat fragile student population, not put barriers in their way by eliminating classes or sticking to strict enrollment quotas.

We know there are students out there who could benefit from the college's ESL classes. The college needs to make a concerted effort at recruitment, something which has never really been done effectively. This means more than an article in the paper or putting up a few flyers. It involves visits to schools, churches, and community centers, developing and fostering links in the community -- considerably more than part-time ESL faculty can do. We think it is a disgrace that the college is reducing its ESL program rather than taking the necessary steps to recruit the students from minority groups who would fill the classes.

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Copyright MPFA 1999
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited