Barnard College is quietly axing its entire Slavic Studies department, including the sole professor, John Wright. This is an outrageous and unprecedented move, especially after President Laura Rosenbury promised that no faculty would be fired as the college attempts to cut costs.

John Wright is an important part of the Barnard community and a widely beloved instructor. Many students initially take a course with him to fill a general education requirement, then continue to take classes with him afterwards. This is due to Professor Wright's teaching style: he is a thoughtful, knowledgeable instructor who genuinely cares about what students think of the works read in class. He strives to engage students in meaningful ways, and his classroom is always a supportive and encouraging environment because of it.

This decision by Barnard College is concerning for a number of reasons. Primarily, it is deeply distressing that they would fire a beloved professor and cut an entire department after public promises to do no such thing. Additionally, the decision signals that Barnard's administration doesn't care about maintaining the integrity of Barnard's robust liberal arts education.  Barnard's administration is setting a concerning precedent, one that may include secretly terminating other departments. By signing this petition, you're showing Barnard that our community won't accept this injustice!

If you have had a positive experience with Professor Wright or the Barnard Slavic Studies department, please share it in this google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4vKtnCKvk_KMND9-pax9RczwkJKJRUVyHF_qBoeaAaDmbTg/viewform?usp=header