Dear President Liebowitz and the Board of Trustees, We, the undersigned, are in support of the initiative to create a Korean language program here at Middlebury College in the form of academic year course offerings, a summer Language School, and study abroad options in Korea. We believe that a top tier liberal arts institution that prides itself on its international focus and breadth of its curriculum should look beyond the traditional academic insularity of Asian studies in China and Japan to other notable cultures and languages. We, the undersigned, believe that Korean is an increasingly useful and globally prevalent language today. In fact, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and The Council of American Overseas Research Centers has just recently declared Korean as one of the many critically needed languages to learn and is funding scholarships to send U. S. citizens to Korea. Middlebury College, too, should consider the viability of Korean as a curriculum offering. As a global institution with a strong emphasis on languages, Middlebury College should continue to expand and enrich its language program. We urge the administration and the Board of Trustees to create a Korean language program here at Middlebury in the near future. We hope that all the citizens of this college community acknowledge the merits of such a program and understand the benefits of a more diverse language curriculum. We urge the leaders and trustee members of this community to assist us in making this initiative a reality. By signing, we give permission to have our support made public.

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