Event Calendar

Date(s): July 15, 2026

Time: 4:00 PM  EST - 5:00 PM  EST

A Good News Story: Saving a Linguistics Program
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 4:00-5:00 PM ET

Presenters:

• Lydia Grebenyova, Director, Linguistics Program, Cleveland State University
• Annie Jouan-Westlund; Director, French Program; Chair, Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Cleveland State University 

Linguistics programs nationwide are facing financial difficulties and enrollment pressures, with smaller programs being most vulnerable. At Cleveland State University, the undergraduate Linguistics Program experienced these challenges two years ago, with enrollment temporarily suspended. Instead of reducing course offerings or narrowing our mission, we developed a restructuring strategy that preserved our full linguistics curriculum while addressing the challenges. The reorganization brought together several related programs in anthropology, languages, and linguistics into a unified structure that maintains both the curricular integrity and the philosophical identity of each field. As a result, linguistics became a Linguistics Track within an interdisciplinary and innovative new major that trains students in studying language and culture from different viewpoints. 

In this webinar, we will outline the strategy, timeline, and key elements of the new curriculum, and reflect on the lessons learned throughout the process. Following a brief presentation, we invite participants to join an open discussion. We hope colleagues will share their own experiences, challenges, and creative solutions. Although the webinar focuses on undergraduate Linguistics, the strategies we will discuss are relevant to programs in many related fields, such as anthropology, world languages, and other smaller programs (both undergraduate and graduate) seeking to strengthen their position amid enrollment and institutional pressures.