Neues Curriculum

By Charlotte Melin   (Download as pdf)

Imagine it’s 2015 and the worst has come to pass. In the two years following the economic crisis that began in fall 2008, a third of high schools with German programs eliminated them due to shortfalls in state education budgets. Across the country, school superintendents went on record in public meetings stating that districts could offer only Spanish. Even in suburban schools, German classes were dropped year after year, while beginning Chinese was added, with mixed success. The first wave of German program closures at state and community colleges, followed by reorganization of smaller units into Modern Language departments and the retrenchment of faculty lines at research universities, resulted in many painful reductions. The ensuing combination of weak enrollments, increased staffing by disenfranchised instructors without tenure, and faculty retirements left departments poorly prepared to deal with the “budget cliff” of 2012. At that point, administrations across the U.S. asked faculty and staff to cut an additional 5-10% over the following three years. Many departments that were already operating in skeletal form were left with no choice but to merge with other units or reduce course offerings to a minimum. The recruitment and training of graduate students is being curtailed at all but a handful of institutions, since it is no longer economically viable for U.S. students to pursue a Ph.D. in a field of such career instability.

Now let’s imagine a different scenario. As school districts grappled with budget reductions in 2008-9, strong partnerships of teachers, parents, and community members were forged with university and college German departments. These networks successfully advocated on behalf of high school German programs, supported thriving immersion schools, and raised public awareness about the relevance of studying German. While a decreasing number of students elected to study the language for heritage reasons, the post-recession growth of export/import traffic with Europe, U.S. investments in sustainable technologies, and the search for models for health care reform, among other factors, fueled renewed interest in German. Following an agonizing period of self-reflection, college and university departments focused with fresh energy on building areas of strength and redefining institutional structures. Successful departments built new collaborations across disciplinary units, promoted increased study and internships abroad for undergraduates, developed language-enriched content-based curriculum, addressed issues of diversity, pioneered e-learning, and in some cases “privatized” operations through cooperation with donors. Graduate program admissions were “right-sized” to ensure better support, education, and placement of Ph.Ds. While the trend toward expanding employment of adjunct instructors rather than adding tenure-track faculty continues, faculty-like privileges have been ensured for many (including research and professional development support, long-term or renewable contracts, and participation in institutional decision making), a move that is dismantling the so-called language/literature divide and enhancing the quality of undergraduate education across the U.S.

Both scenarios are, of course, hypothetical, but I offer them by way of introduction to thinking about how to address the present “crisis” in German studies. Recognizing that solutions will depend on institutional profile, I will advocate specific interventions that have proven effective in my department and that have applicability which transcends local experience. Bluntly, we live in a climate in which it seems nearly impossible to translate salutary discussion about the value of the Humanities into the kind of tangible support that is so desperately needed. Given these circumstances, my advice focuses on concrete tactics that my department has found crucial to successful operations. Briefly, these five recommendations involve proactive strategic planning, outreach, curriculum design, study abroad, and development.

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