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In cases of threats to a program – e.g. reduction of faculty lines by attrition or downgrading; elimination of majors or minors; consolidation with other programs; overload teaching -- the Director of the Classics Advisory Service (CAS) is the first point of contact: the Director responds to requests for help from the affected program or from interested parties, and determines if and how the Society might be of help, usually consulting the SCS President and Executive Director, and reaching out to other professional organizations as appropriate. We recommend that affected programs inform the CAS of threats actual or potential: we cannot assist if we are unaware of the threat! We also recommend that you inform the president or appropriate officer of your Regional, State or Local Organizations. The largest of these is CAMWS (Classical Association of the Middle West and South), which covers more than half of the US and Canada.

The initial steps are for the Director to learn the particulars of the situation and then explore (1) what would be the most effective approach and the most important issues to address, including any rationale that has been offered by the "other side"; (2) what information SCS could provide that would be particularly helpful; (3) to what administrators or authorities any calls / correspondence should go, and from whom; and (4) any colleagues, students, alumnae/i, friends, or parents who might be contributing to the effort that CAS should know about. All information is held in strict confidence, and CAS does nothing without the permission of all involved stakeholders.

CAS does not mediate or otherwise involve itself in internal disputes but rather offers advice and information, and is ready to present to higher administrators the perspective of an international professional organization on the discipline generally and the affected program particularly. CAS has found that even high-handed administrators are highly sensitive to the kinds of advocacy that external organizations like SCS can bring to bear.

The Executive Director (helen.cullyer@nyu.edu) can also post petitions or other requests for assistance on the SCS website or, in some cases, email them directly to the membership.

The Director of CAS,
Jeffrey J. Henderson
William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of Greek
Department of Classical Studies
Boston University
745 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

617.353.2427
jhenders@bu.edu