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Asturian Philology at the University of Oviedo under threat

 
Head of Philology Faculty resigns after Board votes to end Asturian Studies at the capital’s university · Following protests by student organizations and Asturian language supporters, the rector says he hopes a compromise will be reached.

Asturian - or Astur-Leonese - may no longer be offered as a subject by the Faculty of Philology at the University of Oviedo, the capital of Asturias. Last week, the Faculty Board voted to abolish Asturian as a degree subject. The Head of the Faculty, Ana Cano, immediately resigned, declaring that "under no circumstances will I head a faculty that denies Asturian full degree status".

Reactions soon flooded in, first from the university milieu and then from individuals and organizations who support the Asturian language. Last weekend, students occupied the Philology Faculty to protest against the Board's decision, criticizing Professor Félix Fernández de Castro in particular for presenting the proposal to remove Asturian from the curriculum.

On 1 July La Xunta Pola Defensa de la Llingua Asturiana (Assembly for the Defence of the Asturian Language) staged a protest in the University. The demonstration was backed by organizations such as El Conceyu Abierty pola Oficialidá (Open Council for Official Status) and El Conceyu Universitariu pol Asturianu (University Council for Asturian Language), as well as political parties such as Unidá Nacionalista (Nationalist Unity), Bloque por Asturies (Bloc for Asturies), Izquierda Unida (United Left), and Andecha Astur (an Asturian secessionist left-wing party).

But there have also been demonstrations of support for Fernández de Castro from professors and academics expressing their "profound concern that university autonomy should be attacked in this way", according toLa Voz de Asturias.

The Rector of the University of Oviedo today announced a "compromise that would guarantee Asturian as a subject offered by the university", without going into further detail as to what such a compromise would entail. It is possible last week's vote will now be repeated.

Photo: Occupying the Philology Faculty (Glayiu.org)

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