Duke University professor removed from e-mail "Speak English"

A US university professor was fired from his post as director of a graduate program after receiving an email about a mail in which she had urged students not to speak Chinese.

Megan Neely, an assistant professor at Duke University in North Carolina, told the students that two faculty members in the biostatistics program have not complained that students speak Chinese in public spaces. department.

She said that not speaking English could have "unintended consequences" for international students. 19659007] His e-mail became viral on Twitter and on Chinese social media, while Duke Medical School promised to review his biostatistics program.

Many criticized Dr. Neely's letter as being racist or unresponsive, and expressed concern that faculty members discriminate against international students

However, some ethnic minority students enrolled in the master's program reported to the BBC that they supported Dr. Neely, describing her as a suppo. program director and "definitely not racist, not even close".

What exactly happened?

Controversy erupted after screen copies of Dr. Neely's email to biostatistics students began circulating online during the weekend. Duke University confirmed to the US media that screen captures were authentic.

Dr. Neely stated that two faculty members had asked her if she had pictures of students enrolled in the master's program before choosing a number of freshmen "that They observed Chinese speaking (in their words, VERY STRONG) in the student hall / study areas.

Dr. Neely stated that faculty members had told him "that they wanted to write the names so they could remember from them if the students were interviewed. They were disappointed to find that these Students did not take advantage of the opportunity to improve their English and were so rude that they had a conversation that everyone could not understand. [19659007] "To international students," she continued, " PLEASE, please, keep these unintended consequences in mind when you choose to speak Chinese in the building. "

She added that she respected international students. learn "in a non-native language", but "I encourage you to commit to using English 100% of the time when you are at Hock [the faculty building] or any other professional setting".

Why was he so controversial?

The e-mail became viral after being leaked online and posted in the student newspaper The Chronicle. Many found the language in e-mail condescending, while others wondered if the students had been targeted because they spoke Chinese rather than another foreign language.

For many, however, the most disturbing part of the e-mail was the allegation that two professors members seemed willing to discriminate against students according to the language they spoke. to their friends.

A group calling themselves Concerned Duke Students stated in a petition that they were "seriously concerned" by the hypothesis "that students of various national origins would be sanctioned by academic opportunities and opportunities to study. job for speaking their mother tongue outside the classroom. "

The group told the BBC that more than 2,000 people signed their petition on Sunday, including students and former students of Duke, others institutions.

"We recognize that language difficulties can be an obstacle for many foreign students, but we think this is all the more reason for Duke to treat us with greater respect and understanding," they said. said in a statement.

Mary Klotman, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine who oversees the Biostatistics Program, wrote to students over the weekend, telling them: "There is absolutely no restriction or limitation as to the language that you use to converse and communicate with each other Your career The language you use outside the classroom will not influence opportunities and recommendations, and your privacy will always be protected.

" I asked the Institutional Equity Office of the University to conduct a thorough examination of the Master in Biostatistics. Program, "she added.

Dr. Neely, still an adjunct professor, has not yet publicly commented on the controversy.

What do his students think?

As of Sunday night, millions of Weibo had consulted the hashtag "The university forbade the Chinese people to speak Chinese", while "The university professor who banned the resignation of speaking Chinese "was the ninth most popular hashtag.

A Weibo user described the mail as "naked racism", while another joked: "Should we also exclude all foreign students who do not speak Chinese on campus, as they have not taken advantage of the opportunity to learn Chinese in China? "

In the meantime, several Twitter users have started to share Professor Neely's photo or claim her dismissal.

However, others argued that the rumor had been exaggerated – or that Dr. Neely had unfairly carried the burden of criticism.

A Weibo user suggested that the email had revealed deeper problems in the program.

"I think that this professor's actions may have been well-intentioned, but perhaps it was the two faculty members who asked [for names and photos] true racists." they wrote.

Three students in Duke's Biostatistics Master's Program, who asked not to be named, expressed their support for the BBC.

"Dr. Neely is an excellent instructor and certainly not a racist, not even close," a Chinese student said.

Another Chinese student told the BBC that he found Dr. Neely "always ready to help" students of all nationalities, and hoped that the university would investigate both faculty members unnamed mentioned in his email.

A third student of Asian origin said, "Megan is really the best instructor and mentor I've ever had … She made a mistake [with her email] but we still know what her intention was and how much she cares about us [19659007] "When some people speak loudly in a foreign language, others [in the lounge] are permanently disturbed."

The student adds, "Some of my Chinese friends m 39 also feared that, if they support Megan in public, could be considered "people who have betrayed their country" by other Chinese students in the United States. "