On behalf of the College of Arts and Sciences, I am responding to an article titled ‘Professor receives criticism,’ which appeared in Tuesday’s issue of The Daily Orange. The article discussed Susan Edmunds, associate professor of English, and her class ‘Ethnic Literatures and Cultures: Asian American Fiction,’ an English course that is part of the new Asian and Asian-American studies minor.

Edmunds is an esteemed scholar who adds enormously to the success of the college, which rests on the strength of our faculty, each of whom is an inspired leader in his or her field. An expert in 20th century global literature and culture who received her doctorate in English from Yale University, she is known for her innovative scholarship and rigorous pedagogic technique, utilizing broad historical, social and cultural contexts. Colleagues at Syracuse University and around the world praise Edmunds’ work as of the highest caliber and as illuminating and strongly compelling — much of it characterized by her ability to build original, often bold, arguments on the basis of newly discovered historical phenomena. She has published two books and numerous scholarly articles, and has received numerous honors and awards, including the English Department’s Graduate Teaching Prize.

Counter to a claim in The D.O. article and in some emails and leaflets appearing on campus, Edmunds has outstanding credentials to teach AAA. Premia Kurien, a professor in the sociology department who directs the AAA minor, has supported Edmunds, citing her expertise and experience in Asian-American literature, while students have cited her exceptional reading, listening and rhetorical skills. Edmunds’ involvement with the AAA minor exemplifies our commitment to offering interdisciplinary programming that cuts across multiple schools and colleges, while offering a multidimensional perspective of critical issues and topics.

The existence of the AAA minor, currently in its first year, is the result of many hours of work contributed by numerous faculty members at SU. To date, it consists of more than 30 courses, excluding language courses, which are taught by more than 20 faculty members from different colleges on campus. Additionally, the program has included extracurricular events, including speakers from schools such as Columbia University, Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania. This growth results partly from student interest, the commitment of new resources and the acquisition of several new faculty members over the past few years. We plan to continue the development of this program into the future and are currently examining the hire of a senior-level faculty member to begin in the fall of 2012.

As the dean of SU’s largest college, I am always willing and interested to hear students’ ideas, suggestions and concerns, and seek to foster an atmosphere that promotes open discussion and debate among students, faculty and staff. Treating each other with respect and civility is an essential aspect of such an environment. In the interest of promoting mutual respect, understanding and information sharing, today I am meeting to talk with students on this matter.

George M. Langford

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

Professor of Biology

Published on April 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm