Due to pressure from a variety of sources, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa has reversed the suspension of admissions to the Honours programme in Greek and Roman Studies (Department of Classics and Religious Studies) that was announced a few weeks ago.

This reversal comes about in part due to an open letter that faculty members at the University of Ottawa prepared and that garnered more than 4,000 signatures. The text of the open letter is shown below.

Open Letter in Support of Classics at the University of Ottawa

The Situation

The Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa has abruptly suspended admissions to the Honours programme in Greek and Roman Studies (Department of Classics and Religious Studies), effective immediately. This decision was made without consultation with department members, students, or the broader academic community.

This suspension follows the 2024 closure of the M.A. in Late Antiquity, a programme that had built an international reputation over twenty years. Together, these decisions will end advanced instruction in Latin and stop all teaching of Ancient Greek. These languages have been taught at the university since it was founded in 1848.

Why This Matters

• For Franco-Ontarians: The University of Ottawa is the only institution in Ontario where ancient languages can be studied in French. This decision cuts off access to this important part of our cultural heritage for French-speaking students across the province.

• For Academic Excellence: Every major research university in the world maintains robust teaching and research in Classical studies. The suspension undermines the University of Ottawa's reputation as a comprehensive research institution. 

• For Interdisciplinary Scholarship: Classics supports research and teaching across multiple faculties: Law (Roman law), Medicine (medical terminology), Education (pedagogy), History, Philosophy, Political Science, Art History, Literature, Modern Language study, and more.

• For the Community: This is not just about what happens on campus. The department has strong connections with the wider community. Students and staff maintain links with the Franco-Canadian and Greek communities across Ontario and beyond, and with educational institutions across Canada and globally. The Museum of Classical Antiquities offers educational activities and outreach, including partnerships with organizations such as the Ottawa Mission.

• For Governance: The decision was made without due consultation and at extremely short notice.

The YUFA Executive extends congratulations to colleagues at the University of Ottawa for being able to reverse the program enrolment suspension.

The YUFA Executive renews its call for all program suspensions at York University to be reversed.