Megan Neely, an assistant professor and former director of graduate studies for a biostatistics course at Duke University in North Carolina, was demoted after emails in which she urged foreign students to speak English instead of their native language were leaked to the public.
In these emails, Neely claimed that two faculty members complained to her about international students speaking Chinese "very loudly" in the student lounge areas, and expressed their disappointment over the fact that "these students were not taking the opportunity to improve their English and were being so impolite as to have a conversation that not everyone on the floor could understand".
One professor from Duke University sent out an email asking Chinese students not to speak Chinese in school building. pic.twitter.com/6xGkIeScJo
— Hua Sirui 华思睿 (@siruihua) 26 января 2019 г.
"To international students, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep these unintended consequences in mind when you choose to speak in Chinese in the building," Neely wrote, noting that faculty members wanted to write down the names of the students so they could remember them "if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a masters project".
In response to this development, the dean of Duke Medical School, which oversees the biostatistics course, said that Neely is no longer a director of a master’s degree program, adding that the university was asked to conduct an internal review of this matter.
"I understand that many of you felt hurt and angered by this message. To be clear: there is absolutely no restriction or limitation on the language you use to converse or communicate with each other. Your career opportunities and recommendations will not in any way be influenced by the language you use outside the classroom," the dean said in an email.
This incident apparently did not sit well with many social media users, complaining about the way the university is handling this matter.
We'll have to see how the "thorough review" mentioned in the article goes. As it stands, Duke's response, so far, is terribly weak considering that we are talking about racism among staff members.
— Adri Bucher (@adri_bucher) 28 января 2019 г.
The prof would have been well within her rights to set the language in the classroom, but outside of that it's not her bsns Her and her colleagues going over photos together to identify the "criminals" and bar them from internships is also highly excessive and unprofessional. pic.twitter.com/dXbKs5vWyi
— nina (@BakerStGhost) 28 января 2019 г.
This is so ignorant of the Professors. Speaking our native language with our countryman has nothing to do with English capability, it's just simply weird if you don't. French ppl speak French to one another etc, just purely racist on their part.
— Olivia Mo (@Mo99Olivia) 28 января 2019 г.
Racist
— Cheni Khonje (@RevCheni) 28 января 2019 г.
Racist teacher
— amor de cilina (@umapiranhamesmo) 28 января 2019 г.
Some, however, appeared to share Neely’s sentiment.
She's right, why study here if you can't speak the language? Foreign Graduate Students who function as TA's at American Universities but can't properly speak English (usually Chinese students) are even worse.
— FootyFan (@CaptainCruyff) 28 января 2019 г.
When in Rome do as the Romans. When In America do as the Americans. Speak English.
— Joseph Dean (@madbch1) 28 января 2019 г.
You (left-wing politicians) are sawing the branch, on which you are sitting. English should be the only working language in all American universities, even among Chinese Professors & students.
— Freeman (@Freeman48171576) 28 января 2019 г.
Always confused, China on the move with all its growth and yet students come here to study. And then when in America, studying in English and at a University like Duke speak Chinese in a professional training environment. GO HOME! Take your money with you. And we lose a professor
— David Flynn (@DavidFl02313804) 28 января 2019 г.
Seems like the prof. was trying to be helpful. Guess next time people won't be offering helpful advice to international students.
— Foreign Detanglements (@KantBreal) 28 января 2019 г.
And according to South China Morning Post, Neely’s emails also generated a lot of negative feedback on Chinese social media network Weibo, where hashtag “Duke University bans speaking Chinese” had been read more than 6.7 million times.
"I think this professor’s conduct might actually have been well intended, but it is those two complaining faculty staff who are the real racists," the author of a top-rated comment quoted by the newspaper remarked.
