Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 15:35:52 -0400 From: km13-AT-knot.QueensU.CA (Katherine M. J. McKenna) Subject: Re: Message from Cixous This is a forwarded message from WMST-L in response to Kristin Switala's request. Katherine McKenna >The office of renowned French feminist Helene Cixous, who chairs the only >doctoral-level Women's Studies program in France, at Paris VIII, has >requested that concerned scholars throughout the world fax the French >Ministry of Education BEFORE APRIL 15 to protest the proposed closure of >France's only doctoral-level Women's Studies program. The governmental >commission for the evaluation of scientific and technical research (MST) >has once again advised the Ministry of Education against the continuation >of the program. The CNESER (Conseil national de l'enseignement superieur >et de la recherche) will act on this governmentally authorized opinion on >April 15. In nearly every case they confirm the commission's findings. > > The Program is asking for the support of concerned women's studies >faculty throughout the world. (See background on the program after >sample letters.) It urges that you: > >Please fax, without delay, to the CNESER (33-1-40-65-70-90). We suggest >you send the following message, either in French or in English: > >ENGLISH VERSION >Monsieur le Ministre de l'Education Nationale, president du CNESER, and >dear colleagues: > We urge you not to destroy the DEA of Etudes Feminines of the >University of Paris VIII, directed by Helene Cixous. The scholarly >community acknowledges the central importance of the research that has >been carried out in this program, one of the first of its kind in the >world, for the past 22 years. This program must continue. As a >concerned feminist scholar in the United States, I endorse the research >being done in the doctoral seminars led by members of the doctoral program >of Etudes Feminines. > >FRENCH VERSION (note: not possible to put in accents on internet) >Monsieur le Ministre de l'Education Nationale, president du CNESER, et >chers collegues, > Nous vous demandons instamment de ne pas detruire le DEA d'Etudes >Feminines de l'universite de Paris VIII, dirige par Helene Cixous. Notre >communaute scientifique a besoin que la recherche menee depuis 22 ans au >sein de cette formation, pionniere dans son domaine, puisse se >poursuivre. Nous soutenons (?) la recherche menee dans les seminaires de >doctorat animes par les membres de la formation doctorale en Etudes >Feminines. > >BACKGROUND: >The negative judgment of the governmental commission (MST) criticized, >among other things, that the program had no French students among the 23 >who were writing theses. (This allegation was incorrect, as three of the >students hold French citizenship. Furthermore, as there is only one >women's studies program in France, there is no incentive for French >students to complete WS doctoral studies, as there is little related >employment. And the bias against "foreigners" is a matter for concern.) > >The MST report also criticizes the WS program for having a small number of >doctoral graduates, but the case is similar for many larger doctoral >programs in France. There are 45 students enrolled in Women's Studies (22 >are pre-thesis, 23 writing theses), and there is an unprecedented demand >for enrollment in the graduate program. > >Finally, France ranks 15th out of 15 countries in Europe regarding the >position of women in society (numbers holding political postions, >important positions in the workforce and the business world, etc. And >Women's Studies is not represented in the National Council of the >Universities. (All of this information comes directly from the Program's >fax.) > >Please fax quickly. Thanks for your help. >
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