'Dear Stanford': Letter 4

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 Mia Grace Davis '27.

Dear Stanford,

My name is Mia Grace Davis, and I am a Stanford student in the class of 2027. As a prospective English major with a Creative Writing emphasis, I am writing to express my deep concern over the decision to cycle out the current Jones Lecturers. I firmly believe that this decision harms the students, lecturers, and institution as a whole.

I understand that the University’s original intent with the lectureship was to provide one-year appointments to exceptional Stegner Fellows. Returning to this structure, however, will be detrimental for the Creative Writing program and all involved. Since the removal of term-limited appointments, the Creative Writing program has grown astronomically, making it one of the best in the nation. Many of the program’s courses have been uniquely developed by lecturers who have been here for over 15 years. These lecturers have had the time and space to create life-changing curricula, which is reflected in the program's popularity and intense waitlists for its courses.

Although I have only been on campus for one year, the bonds I have created with lecturers such as Tom Kealey, Jenn Trahan, Scott Hutchins, and Shannon Pufahl have been nothing short of beautiful. I can’t imagine a senior year where those who contributed to my education in such monumental ways are simply gone. I value the connections I have made and look forward to forging more in the future; yet I am concerned about the ability to do so with a continuously shifting faculty. This is not to resist current and upcoming Fellows from contributing to the Lectureship—but for Creative Writing to truly thrive, they must join, not replace, the current lecturers.

At such a STEM-dominated school, it is important to preserve the humanities as much as possible. I can’t help but ask how this decision supports that goal. How does “future firing” 23 incredible lecturers without warning—less than a year after requesting a raise—benefit the integrity of this program? How does replacing 90% of those who teach Creative Writing support students dedicated to the craft, leaving everyone with uncertainty regarding their futures? The program cannot rely on individuals who have yet to embellish their teaching skills—they must learn from those who cultivated the program with their own hands.

If you truly want the Creative Writing program to flourish, want to see it “advance the program’s pedagogical mission” as you claim, then please do something about it. Listen to us—the students, the faculty, everyone.

Thank you for your time. Please acknowledge receipt of this email.

Best,
Mia Grace Davis
Class of 2027