Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Bedford Avenue and Avenue H_ Brooklyn, New York 11210 a ear

Women’s Studies Program

2157 Boylan Hall
780-5476 or 77

October 17, 1977

President John W. Kneller
President's Office
Brooklyn College

Dear President Kneller:

Although the college as a whole has suffered enormous reductions in enrollment
due to the imposition of tuition and the cutbacks in open enrollments, the
number of students taking Women's Studies courses has remained at over 800

for the fourth year, evidence of enourmous student support.

The record of reappointments has, however, not reflected this support. Of
thirty-four full-time faculty members who have taught or are teaching Women's
Studies courses, twelve already had tenure or a CCE before participating in
the Program. Twelve participating faculty have come up for tenure or re- t
appointment since the program's inception;=nene hav ybeen reappointed. This
pattern represents a serious threat to the future integrity of the program,
and to our greatest strenghts: the number of faculty involved, including the
number of disciplines they represent, and the continuity of involvement that we
are trying to maintain.

The non-reappointments have of course been scattered among various departments,
where Women's Studies has not been seen as a priority. The cumulative effect,
however, has been to seriously erode the program. We are calling the pattern
to your attention because it is ultimately only to you, the President, that we
can turn, as a centrally located administrator who is in the position to take
a broader overview. We know that you have supported the program and share any
pride in its reputation for effectiveness and academic excellence.

Right now, the most immediate and immediately serious tenure question is that
of Pamella Farley. One of the founders of the program, and now in her third
year as a coordinator, Pamella is vitally important to Women's Studies at
Brooklyn College. Her interdisciplinary expertise and breadth of vision have
been essential to our development and growth; she is one of our most effective
teachers and one of our most creative scholars. She has been directly in-
volved in the foundation of the National Women's Studies Association and has
earned a nationwide reputation for her participation in the development of
~ the new academic field of Women's Studies. We really can't afford to li@se her
at Brooklyn College.