Melissa Hanson  Asst. News Editor

As of this academic year, Suffolk is no longer offering German as a major. The university has restructured the program and will only offer the language as a minor.

“Small programs are the first to go,” said Professor Jay Rosellini, a current German professor and head of the German Department from when he began at Suffolk in 2001 and until 2007.  Rosellini has loved German his whole life and thinks it is important for cultural and economic reasons.  He believes Germany is one of the most important countries in the world, which is why he came to Suffolk to teach it.

Rosellini says that according to the Dean, German should still be offered as a minor. But the disadvantages to this are that it will offer fewer German classes which will not be advertised like a major would, according to Rosellini.  He sees many other schools getting rid of their German programs and the negative effect this will have on college students.

“Suffolk was one of the only schools of its kind that offers German,” said Rosellini.  He already thinks Suffolk students are at a disadvantage because the Bachelor of Science program allows many students to escape taking a foreign language course.

“It’s a shame because it creates two classes,” says Rosellini, “a broad education and a limited education.”

Some of Rosellini’s students have their own opinions on the matter.  Senior Josef Nothmann believes that the German program is “not deemed profitable enough by the new administration.”  He became interested in studying German because of his grandparents, and it is why he came to Suffolk.

“Maybe it says more about what Suffolk sees as its future,” says Nothmann, who believes the college is getting rid of too many programs in the humanities department.  He is concerned for how this will affect his future.

“We sort of shake our heads and roll our eyes,” says Nothmann on how he and his peers are dealing with this loss.

Junior, Lynsey Bourquin chose German as a major so that she could teach the subject at a high school level after she graduates.  It is, like Nothmann, the reason she came to Suffolk.  Bourquin believes that because the head of the program is retiring soon, Suffolk chose to not look into hiring a new German professor in order to terminate the major.

“I think it’s really a disappointment,” said Bourquin, “Suffolk was offering more languages than other schools but are hurting themselves in the long run.”  She also thinks the cut-backs on the language departments makes study abroad less prevalent.  Bourquin sees the loss of German in other institutions and now thinks she will have to settle and be an English teacher.

“I can only hope that in five or 10 years [German] will come back,” said Bourquin.  She knows freshman that came to Suffolk wanting to major in German and believes the University will continue to lose students because of cuts like these.  She remarks on the disappointment she imagines Professor Rosellini feels.

“In a way were not too shocked…I think we’re all disappointed,” said Bourquin.