Suspension of intake to the Certificate in Translation Studies in Chinese
As stated by Dean Lesley Cormack on CBC radio this morning (cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Alberta/Edmonton+AM/ID/2401633708/ …), the Department of East Asian Studies has moved to suspend the Certificate in Translation Studies in Chinese due to a critical shortage of continuing faculty in Chinese.
The Certificate was approved by the Faculty of Arts in 2009. Offered in collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, it is a prime example of a student-focused, innovative and collaborative program that is not duplicated by other post-secondary institutions in Alberta. Enrolment in the certificate has been growing steadily, and the Department believes that it is a valuable credential that has potential to grow and to attract more Alberta students to major in Chinese.
However, offering the Certificate in Translation Studies in Chinese requires the department to schedule two senior classes each and every year. This year, with retirements and leaves, we are left with one professor of Chinese on campus for Winter 2014, and thus are unable to offer the required class. Students already registered in the Certificate will be offered alternative means to complete the requirements.
In view of our diminishing number of faculty positions (2.5 professors in Chinese), the Department has made the difficult decision to suspend new registrations in the Certificate in Translation Studies in Chinese, effective immediately. This means that students already in the Certificate will be able to complete it, but no new students will be admitted. The required paperwork for the suspension will be filed in the coming weeks.
Please note that the corresponding Certificate in Japanese is not affected by this announcement and remains open for new students. We do not anticipate a problem continuing to offer the certificate in Japanese, which has both more faculty and more students.
As stated, the Department believes strongly in the viability and importance of the Certificate in Translation Studies in Chinese. We sincerely hope that a restoration of funding to the University and the Faculty of Arts will permit us to revive and reinvigorate this important program in future years.
Ryan Dunch
Chair, Department of East Asian Studies
August 19, 2013