Ithaca College announced that due to budget cuts, the Deaf Studies minor and classes have been cut starting Fall 2025. 

While students already enrolled in the minor would be able to complete their minor by Fall 2025, future and interested students have been denied the opportunity to learn about the beauty that is the language, culture, and history. In addition, American Sign Language and Deaf Culture instructors have lost their job with little warning from the department.

Ithaca College believed that to help improve their finances, cutting this beloved minor and courses would improve their situation. However, the ASL courses tend to be fully booked and even maxed out beyond recommended class size each semester. There is a constant demand and interest for Deaf Studies.

By cutting this program, Ithaca College is further marginalizing the Deaf population in the Ithaca area and on their campus. The community may be small but their history and culture deserve to be respected.

We will fight to save the Deaf Studies minor, its classes, its professors, and its representation of the Deaf and disability communities. 

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