First of all, I want to thank all of you who supported the Fiction Writing Department last year through a challenging prioritization process at Columbia College Chicago.  To those of you who wrote testimonials on behalf of me as chair and on behalf of the department that we have all grown to love—especially those faculty who began the albersforchair.org site and those students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends who signed petitions, wrote emails, and exchanged messages on Facebook—I can’t begin to express my gratitude for your support and commitment.  While I chose—I hope understandably—to stay on the sidelines and refrain from public statements other than those in the media where I hoped to reassure people about the present and future health of creative writing at Columbia, I was made aware by others of the outpouring of support for me as chair and for the Fiction Writing Department; and I can tell you that I was gratified, humbled, and deeply moved by the many statements that were passed on to me.  Again, I can’t thank you enough.

I also want to offer particular thanks to the faculty and staff of the Fiction Writing Department for engaging in the prioritization process fully, honestly, thoughtfully, and energetically.  I hope, in particular, that others will offer special thanks to Acting Chair Patricia McNair for so ably leading the department through perhaps its toughest year. Patty exemplified the best of leadership through a difficult time, undertaking her work with characteristic intelligence, organizational skill, and confidence.  Gary Johnson, as Associate Chair, also worked diligently in support of her efforts and on behalf of the whole department, bringing his extensive experience and strategic thinking to the process.  Associate Professor Eric May served on one of the prioritization teams and, along with Gary, on the new Faculty Senate. In both roles, he put in countless hours and spoke thoughtfully to some very difficult, often painful, matters facing the college.  And the full-time faculty, even those on sabbatical, as well as all staff, worked to the very best of their ability on fourteen PIR reports submitted for consideration.  To all of these people, as well as students and faculty who offered input, I can only say thank you.

Above all, each of you stood up for what you believed to be the strengths of your training and your work in the Fiction Writing Department and, in the process, expressed the profound sense of community that has been the heart of the department’s strength.  And whether you stated opinions that were universally laudatory or were more qualified in some way, I was especially proud of the fact that you spoke your mind, freely and without reservation. You modeled the reflective, eloquent, and passionate citizenship that we strive for at Columbia; and in the process, you showed yourselves to be the creative, thoughtful leaders that we hope to be sending into the world.  The wider world needs your problem solving capabilities, and I hope that you continue to exercise them in areas beyond the college walls.

As we begin the Fiction Writing Department’s 27th year, I would submit that, because of your efforts, we can all approach the future with much more optimism and hope than we might otherwise have mustered.  During the past year, different recommendations were put forth by the dean, the prioritization teams, the provost, and the president; and along with my own situation, these differing plans generated a great deal of uncertainty, even fear.  But the prioritization process is now behind us.  We have entered a new phase.

The plan for the coming year is, first of all, to carry on as we have been, in and out of the classroom.  That means doing the very best work we can in the classroom and continuing to foster a strong, student-centered sense of community through a wide range of events and educational programs.  In other words, nothing has changed in our approach or in our commitment to providing the best education our excellent faculty can offer.

Meanwhile, discussions will be carried out this year under the able leadership of our new senior vice president, Dr. Warren Chapman, who, working in tandem with Provost/V.P. for Academic Affairs Louise Love, will be in charge of formulating an implementation plan.  What that plan will look like is still to be determined, but we have been assured that the faculty of the Fiction Writing Department, as well as faculty from across the college, will have a voice in shaping that future.  I have known Mr. Chapman for some time and had a lengthy meeting with him two months ago.  I was impressed with his insights, his ability to listen, his experience, and his intelligence, and I am looking forward to working with him as we formulate a clear, sensible plan for the future.

At this point, my impression is that all options are open, but whether we stay as a Fiction Writing Department, move toward forming a Department of Creative Writing, or develop a new school model that incorporates writing, I am confident that creative writing at Columbia College Chicago will have a very bright future, one that draws on the strengths and accomplishments of the past as it also attempts to create new, exciting opportunities for the future.  As always, we will be guided by the central tenets that have always been hallmarks of our program: (1) embracing and fully enacting the unique mission of the college and (2) serving the students to the very best of our abilities.

I look forward to working with all of you in addressing these objectives and hope that you will continue to support each other and the department as we work toward realizing our goal of being the very best writing program in the country.  If you have thoughts, impressions, suggestions, or responses of any kind, I hope that you will drop me an email or come to see me.  Part of your support can also be expressed by talking up the value of the training that you have received to parents, friends, and prospective students, letting them know that we are very much alive, well, and looking forward to the coming years.

I consider it a great privilege to be leading this department, and again, I thank you for your past, present, and future support.  Through your work and creative thinking, we have built an excellent program.  Whatever is to come has terrific potential for being even better, and with our combined efforts, I know that we can build upon the considerable accomplishments of the past to create a glorious future.

Yours,

Randy Albers

Chair, Fiction Writing Department

Columbia College Chicago

Friday afternoon, I arrive at a Columbia College Chicago building on South Michigan Avenue to talk with Fiction Writing Department Chair Dr. Randall Albers. Dressed elegantly in jeans and a French blue shirt with black stripes covered with a brown corduroy blazer, Albers’ height and distinguished presence make him slightly intimidating. Yet he smiles and greets me warmly, ushering me into his spacious office with a killer twelfth-floor view of the lake, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Although he’s technically on sabbatical, Albers frequents the department often to attend to students. We have about an hour to chat before his meeting with a thesis student. We roll into a relaxed, hour-long discussion about two main topics: Columbia’s ongoing prioritization process and the recent decision by the School of Fine & Performing Arts not to renew Albers’ position as chair of the fiction writing department. Throughout our talk, Albers is attentive and articulate, thoughtful, and gracious. Walking me out, he gives me a copy of Hair Trigger, the thick award-winning journal published by his department. A female thesis student awaits their meeting. Something in this picture seems out of place. Albers seems like a doting mentor, not a man who would be asked to give up his job.

Read More

Warmest regards,
Dixie Tracy

Yesterday afternoon, faculty and staff at Columbia College received the following via email from Louise Love, Provost:

To the faculty and staff:  I have been paying close attention to the messages that were sent at last week’s Listening Forum, in conversations, in e-mail messages, and in a meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.  I understand that the campus community is concerned that steps are being taken towards implementation before decisions are made through the prioritization process.  I want to affirm, therefore, that nothing has been decided and that any initiatives on my part that appear to be implementing prematurely have been called off.

In a related matter, I have asked Randy Albers and Ken Daley to remain as chairs of their respective departments for the year ahead; and they have both graciously agreed. They will provide trusted leadership and continuity regardless of the decisions coming out of the Blueprint:Prioritization process; and they will help us make decisions about how best to go forward.

I hope that these measures will reassure the community that the process is proceeding according to plan, that nothing will be decided until the end of June, and that discussions about implementation will begin in the fall.

What does this mean? Well, it means that your voices have been heard. It means that there will be continuity of leadership in the Fiction Writing Department as we all move forward towards the changes likely to come. The administration has listened, and has reversed decisions made prior to the completion of the Blueprint:Prioritization process. We are thrilled, and we appreciate that Louise Love has given these important issues reconsideration.

We must note that the effort that has been put forth here on AlbersForChair.org, and the support that has come as a result, happened because of the working environment in the Fiction Writing Department. As adjunct faculty members, we feel that we are an integral part of the job of teaching students and their learning process.

Our work is not done, however. We look forward to the possibilities that a newly-formed Creative Writing Department might create for our departments and faculty members, the College and, most importantly, our students. We maintain that Randy Albers is the ideal candidate to help shepherd in the Creative Writing Department he has been a proponent of for many years, and we believe that our unique and acclaimed core curriculum should be celebrated and allowed to flourish in this new department.  The Fiction Writing major–with its striking diversity of teaching approaches and its Story Workshop core–is one of Columbia’s crown jewels.

We remain vigilant and will do whatever we can to ensure that the changes that are proposed out of this Blueprint:Prioritization process are best for all concerned–faculty, staff, and most importantly, the students of Columbia College.

Thank you for your support, and please continue to visit the site for news regarding recommendations to come.

I sense much fear in the administration. Fear of not being like every other college, turning out artists by the numbers, or clones, as opposed to voices, artists who make a difference.

Although a larger creative writing program may not be a bad idea at all, what concerns me is the elimination, perhaps, of the Story Workshop Approach. The college most likely wants to see more students in these classes, and while that sounds good on paper, in actuality, it can’t work to the level that it does now. If forced to enroll more students in the workshops, the approach may be in danger, and then we’d be like every other writing program. So why would students want to come here when they can enroll in the same critique style approach used everywhere else? The Story Workshop Approach doesn’t work for everyone, but I also don’t need a teacher to tell me if my writing is good or if it sucks. I did not find that very helpful at previous schools, which was why I came to Columbia College. And I also believe the way reading and writing are taught together in the Fiction Department are marketable oral and written communication skills that can be applied to almost any job or career path.

I sense the administration fears that Columbia is losing its identity. In an age where technology advances faster than it takes to complete a college program, and where the job markets are not what they once were, I don’t think a mad race to streamline everything as a quick fix is the answer. Columbia College is not like every other school. It shouldn’t be. It is unique in a unique city. What would be next? Greek letters and diving teams?

Change is unavoidable, and we don’t always like change, but it needs to be thought out. What is best for the students? This is something I’ve learned from Randy Albers and the faculty in the Fiction Writing Department, that the students come first.

Since February 24, 2012, when we were told that Randy Albers would not be rehired as the Chair of the Fiction Writing Department of Columbia College Chicago, we have been on a mission.

A mission to ask questions about proper process, about the future of our department, its faculty members and its curriculum. A mission to seek out and work towards the best possible future for the students of Columbia College Chicago.

There has been confusion, passion, anger, discussion, contemplation and lots of writing. Much of that writing is in our Testimonials section, which we invite you to visit.

We want to be very clear–we insist on working productively and respectfully towards our goals. We do not condone any aggressive or threatening actions. We plead with those in support of this mission to channel your anger productively, as most have been by signing the petition, writing testimonials and most importantly, by talking to one another about our concerns.

You have the right, as we all do, to contact administrators to express your concerns about the future of this school, about the departments you learn in and teach in. But please, do so with calm, rational respect. This is one of those times when considering your audience is of utmost importance.

If you have questions or concerns and need guidance about whom to ask, please feel free to contact us via our contact page or directly at albersforchair@gmail.com and we will do our best to send you in the right direction.

Thank you for all of your support so far. Onward…

Viki Gonia, Marcia Brenner, Chris Rice, Liz Yokas, Arnie Raiff, Polly Mills

For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.

–Ingrid Bengis