'Dear Stanford': Letter 16
A Collection of Letters in Support of Stanford's 23 Jones Lecturers
On August 21, 23 Creative Writing lecturers were ‘future fired’ in a meeting with Deans, Directors, and Professors that oversee the program. Writing against the firing and in support of their teachers, students and alumni’s letters to the administration alike have received autoreplies and brief responses to their concerns. This Substack is a space for these letters. This one is from Cecilia Lei (‘25).
Dear Stanford,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Cecilia Lei, and I’m a rising senior at Stanford studying English and Economics. I’m writing today with regard to the recent decision to cycle out the Jones Lecturers. In light of this decision, I wanted to share a little bit about the significant impact the Jones Lecturers have had on my, and many others, undergraduate experience. I hope that at the very least, I’m able to express their important, irreplaceable role to Stanford undergraduates.
While I came to Stanford knowing that I wanted to pursue English and Creative Writing, like many Stanford students, I had a breadth of interests. What I really valued, and what ultimately led to me choosing Stanford, was the opportunity to go to a school that, along with hosting a strong Creative Writing program, also hosted strong departments in a plethora of fields that I could explore (e.g. STEM, economics, design). Stanford’s unbiased liberal arts education makes it a truly unique ecosystem that values exploration and open-mindedness, setting itself apart from other strong STEM schools like Caltech or MIT who focus primarily on STEM. Stanford currently fosters one of the top Creative Writing programs in the country, with wonderful opportunities like Levinthal Tutorials with the Stegner Fellows and Independent Studies with Jones Lecturers. I can confidently say that the Creative Writing opportunities, made possible by the Jones Lecturers, have given me the confidence and skill sets to produce writing that I’m proud of. These skills have carried far beyond simple expression, allowing me to set myself apart for my critical thinking and storytelling abilities during my internship experiences.
Learning that the Jones Lecturers program was going to be disbanded was not only disappointing, because it meant that my favorite teachers at Stanford would be leaving, but also because it would undermine the key strength of the program. When I think of our department, I think of community, and that community will cease to exist if the people that shape and carry it forward are no longer a part of it. The short-term lecturers brought in their stead will simply not be capable of creating the lasting continuity and impact that make the program so special.
Jones Lecturers not only teach 90% of the classes at Stanford, but they are much more often available to students than the senior professors, and teach highly sought after, tried and tested, unique classes like Nature Writing and First Chapters. Because of the Jones Lecturers’ openness and willingness to help, undergraduates like me can feel like a part of the community, empowering us to pursue our passions without compromise.
I’m truly proud to go Stanford — coming here was the best choice I ever made! But I think that the disbanding of the Jones Lecturers program would irreparably harm the Creative Writing community that they work so hard to foster, and go against the values that Stanford stands for. I thank you for your time and hope that the outpouring of support from the community will help in the reconsideration of this decision.
Sincerely,
Cecilia