Dear Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Supporters of Auburn University and World Languages,

We stand at a critical juncture in our university's academic landscape, facing the impending threat of losing a cherished program that has enriched the lives of countless students and contributed to the appreciation of language and other cultures in our great state and beyond. We write to you today with a collective plea, a call to action, to preserve the Foreign Language Teacher Education Program at Auburn University. With the retirement of the program’s sole full-time faculty member, Dr. Sue Barry, the university has decided not to hire a replacement. The program will not be closed immediately, but no new students can enroll as of now. The program's unwavering commitment to excellence in language education has consistently produced highly skilled teachers who are passionate about fostering linguistic proficiency, cultural appreciation, and global awareness among their students. It is now in jeopardy of being cut due to budgetary constraints. As advocates for the importance of global perspectives and the transformative power of language education, we believe that the elimination of this program would not only be a loss to our university but also a disservice to future generations of students in the state of Alabama and beyond seeking to broaden their horizons and contribute meaningfully to our interconnected world. Please sign and share this petition to save the program today!