Dear Middlebury College, Professor Povitz is one of the best professors I have ever had at Middlebury. She perfectly walks the line between demanding growth and effort from her students and being kind and supportive. She is incredibly knowledgeable of a variety of different topics and brings energy, interactive activities, honesty, passion and intelligence to the classroom every day to make every class a valuable, unique, and engaging experience. She and her partner are essential and irreplaceable parts of the Middlebury faculty because of their unique backgrounds and knowledges in the queer, arabic, jewish, history, and gender studies community. I have participated in a Torah Study group with Professor Povitz that was one of my favorite Jewish experiences I have ever had on campus. I have also taken her History of Sexuality class. As a gender studies major, by the end of this semester with the leave of Profesor Gupta, as a department we will have a total of two full time professors. This is honestly a disgrace to such a robust and generative area of study. Because of this gender studies majors are often forced to to classes with professors unqualified to teach gender studied but who are allowed to cross list their courses so we have enough options to graduate on time. Professor Povitz’s class on sexuality was an incredible Gender studies and History class, and she has the perfect set of knowledge and pedagogy to teach this types of fascinating classes at Middlebury. She is irreplaceable. It would be a horrible and impactful mistake and a disregard for our education to not offer her a tenure track here. Please do.
Professor Povitz’s Courses
Professor Povitz teaches unique and timely courses that encourage students to think structurally about the way change is made, and about the value of social movements.
My Professor Povitz has been one of my most impactful professors at Middlebury. I first took her course History of Sexuality in the US last spring. I found the course material absolutely fascinating. I was so excited to be learning about a different type of history than I had in the past. Professor Povitz was such an encouraging and engaging professor. This course inspired me to take two more classes with her. i then took Practicing Oral History, which was so amazing and I think so helpful to learn about for academia and then Feminism in Jewish and Black Perspectives. I think it is really valuable to have a professor at Middlebury so passionate about Judaism, especially in ways that are different from typical ways in which we learn about Judaism at Middlebury. As a Jewish student, this is really important to me and I would be really disappointed to see Professor Povitz leave as I think her courses are really valuable and important for the Middlebury community.
I have only just begun my first class with Professor Povitz and already I know that she is an amazing professor who is essential to our community. I am taking her class Black and Jewish Feminist Perspectives (HIST 0448) and after one class I have learned so much on topics that should be more widespread. Professor Povitz is sharing super valuable knowledge and in doing so making our campus a more kind and welcoming place. As a Black Jewish woman there aren’t many, really zero places, where my various identities converge and in this class I was able to find that space.
I am a senior, so I have had a range of different academic experiences. Compared to my other professors, Professor Povitz is a genius in keeping students engaged — when other professors stick to the classic reading/lecture structure, she is able to assign meaningful readings, assignments, and day-to-day class plans that connect students to each other and keep us interested/passionate in the course material. While I have led discussions in other classes, when I was assigned to lead class discussion in her class, she gave me the most agency and greatest experience of intentional collaboration with her (i.e. us sharing a google doc to plan class agenda).
Professor Povitz has been one of my favorite professors I’ve had in my 4 years at Middlebury. I think I learned the most in her course out of all my courses. Professor Povitz is frankly incredible and I think it’s absurd that Middlebury hasn’t offered her tenure. She treats her students like capable adults and holds us to a high standard, which is effective in showing us what we are able to achieve. Most importantly Professor Povitz holds space for groups of marginalized groups of students on campus and I think plays an essential role in the history department of expanding who’s history we are teaching. It would deeply sadden me if Midd were to loose a person as important as Povitz to making campus a progressive and inclusive space.
Professor Povitz’s History of US Food Politics class exposed me to some of the most interesting readings I have done during my time at Middlebury. I found myself sharing readings about the 1902 Kosher Meat Boycott, Black Panther breakfast program, and even the Park Slope Food Co-op with friends, many of whom went on to take classes with Professor Povitz. Professor Povitz holds a high standard for her students, and though her assignments were sometimes challenging, I felt that my writing improved significantly. Professor Povitz is unlike any other professor I have had at Middlebury, it is impactful to see a queer professor teach marginalized histories in such a dynamic way while still making time for things like Torah study. If Middlebury intends on being a progressive institution, keeping beloved professors like this is vital.
I am fortunate enough to have had Professor Povitz as my professor twice and, most recently, as my thesis advisor. My experiences working with and learning from Professor Povitz have been nothing short of outstanding, and I cannot recommend her as a professor and advisor enough. The two classes I took with her––History of Urban Food Activism and History of U.S. Radicalism––stand out as some of my favorite classes I took over the course of my Middlebury College career. Not only does she know so much about her field, her passion for it is exceptionally evident and contagious. This wealth of knowledge and passion is reflected in the way she masterfully plans her courses. Her syllabi are well thought out and expertly layered so that all of the material feels connected, grounded, and relevant. She also regularly asks for feedback from her students to improve their experiences. As a student, I felt like my perspective and comfort in the classroom mattered, which made it so accessible to actively participate in her classes. In addition to crafting great classes, Professor Povitz successfully builds and leads a classroom environment. Her class on U.S. radicalism remains my favorite class of college. In this seminar, I felt that the class was a community of learners, cultivated by the way Professor Povitz introduced classroom expectations and sustained the classroom over the course of the semester. She facilitated conversations that were fruitful and enriching, offering her own expertise while continuing to let us be the leaders of our own learning. Professor Povitz has high expectations for her students, which was evident from the first class I had with her. These expectations elevated the rigor of the classroom. They have also encouraged me to believe in my own work and capacity more deeply, particularly through the process of writing my senior thesis. As my advisor, Professor Povitz has been the most incredible advocate and resource for my project. She has helped direct me to pertinent sources and lines of scholarship, while being available to listen to me think outload during our thesis meetings––which pass quickly because of the quality and depth of conversation. She even connected me with one of her contacts and a prominent scholar in the field of my thesis, which allowed me to interview the author for my project. Her comments on my writing are always detailed, thorough, and constructive, and she asks questions that push my project forward. I know that my thesis would not be the same without her guidance and support, and I could not be more grateful to have her as my advisor. I have nothing but good things to say about Professor Povitz. She has shaped my experience at Middlebury for the better. I have learned so much from her scholarship and ways of thinking. She is a true asset to her students, the classroom, and this college.
To Whom it May Concern: Professor Lana Povitz embodies the promises that Middlebury makes to it’s students in her contributions to academic content that emphasizes diverse perspectives, her commitment to soliciting feedback from students to ensure that her teaching methods meet their needs and her engagement with the Middlebury community. To this first point, Prof. Povitz teaches courses on radical social movements, Jewish life, mental health, food studies, and queerness as well as historical methods. Middlebury has made numerous promises over the years to improve curricula to better represent scholarship and experiences from minoritized groups, a task that has often fallen to the labor of professors of color. Prof. Povitz does this work already. She also teaches cross-listed courses in two departments on campus that are increasingly popular, but sorely lacking in faculty: Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Food Studies. Losing Professor Povitz would not just be to the detriment of the History department, but to these departments as well. Finally, Prof. Povitz teaches history courses that are exciting and engaging to students who are not history majors, often will long waitlists for her classes. Study across disciplines is one of the tenets of a liberal arts education and losing a professor who builds bridges for students would be deeply counterproductive. Secondly, Professor Povitz takes not just the subject of her work seriously, but her teaching style is of great importance to her too. In all of the classes I have taken with Professor Povitz, she has genuinely wanted to know how students responded to her pedagogical choices and would make adjustments based on feedback. In my experience at Midd, this is a rarity, with most professors waiting for feedback until course response forms, at which point it is too late to change the learning experience of the current class. She has an uncanny ability to facilitate a unified classroom culture, with students connecting with each other across class years and personal backgrounds to learn together. Even when I was not Prof. Povitz’s student but would spend time with her as a mentor, she would talk to me about the classes that she was planning and ask for my opinion about what my peers would be most likely to respond to. In this way, Lana Povitz is not just a brilliant historian, but a dedicated professor. Finally, it is likely that if Middlebury does not keep Professor Povitz, they will also lose her partner, Professor Dima Ayoub. In addition to the knowledge that Middlebury will forfeiting if these two beloved professors leave, it will also miss the ways that they contribute to culture and student life outside of the classroom. Unlike some of their colleagues, these are two professors who deeply want to be at Middlebury and show their commitment through engagement: hosting events for students, attending events with Middlebury Hillel and hosting a Torah study, engaging in academic projects with students, and truly getting to know us as people by making time to have meaningful conversations during office hours and over coffee. Personally, I feel like knowing and learning from Professor Povitz has significantly shaped my experience at Middlebury. It saddens me deeply to think that future Middlebury students will not have the chance to grow as scholars and people from her support. Losing both Professor Ayoub and Professor Povitz would leave a consequential hole in the Middlebury community. Sincerely, Grace Weissman
I took one class with Professor Povitz (History of Sexuality) and it was just so much fun. She found a way to make the class lively while teaching us about serious issues. Her special instructional methods helped us to think critically about how historical events have shaped gender and sexuality as we know it today. Professor Povitz found a balance in making the course a fun environment, but also very educational. It’s hard for me to retain onto information of past college courses without looking back on my notes, but I can easily recall some of the major events in US History as it relates to gender and sexuality.
I took Professor Povitz’ Oral Histories course over J-term and it was fantastic. Her course was very well-structured and the assignments all fit perfectly, and I genuinely enjoyed doing them. She was an incredibly energetic professor who made it clear that her goal was to engage the students. She then helped us as we conducted our own oral history projects. It was an amazing opportunity to learn new skills, which is sometimes lost in the humanities. I have her again in History of American Freedom and she is equally as passionate and engaging. Again, she assigns us interesting, unique projects. Professor Povitz is extremely intelligent and a great professor. She is vital to the Middlebury community.
Professor Povitz was the first Middlebury Professor that I connected with and made me feel like my decision to come to Middlebury was the right one. I took a class with her my J-term of my freshman year, and after a difficult fall semester of adjusting to college and life away from home, I finally felt like I found the academic rigor and passion I had been looking for, in a class that kept an eye always towards what we were getting out of the class, whether it be specific skills or broader lessons. The class was the first one I couldn’t stop talking about to my friends. I went on to take another course with Professor Povitz the following year and have kept in touch with her since. She is invaluable to the community and college.
keep prof povitz!! she gave me so much confidence and really took time to notice unique qualities in all of her students. i loved her class; i felt more engaged sitting through her lectures than i have with many of the tenured history profs at the college.
For four years, I was surrounded by friends raving about Professor Povitz and telling me about what an amazing professor she is. Finally, in my final semester, I decided that taking a course with Professor Povitz was a “Middlebury must”. I had incredibly high expectations for her, given what all of my friends had said. Luckily, Professor Povitz met and exceeded those expectations. She created a comfortable, inclusive, and welcoming classroom environment in which we were all able to both engage in intellectual conversations and express our own emotions and concerns. She constantly probed us to dig deeper, analyze more thoroughly, and engage in the material to the best of our abilities. She was inspiring, encouraging, and thoughtful and one of my favorite professors at Middlebury. I am deeply saddened that I was only able to take one course with Professor Povitz, but even more saddened by Middlebury College’s actions. Professor Povitz is everything I ever wanted in a professor and she has had a profound impact on our community. She deserves to stay at Middlebury College and to be recognized for her wonderful contribution to our community.
I absolutely loved Prof Povitz’s History of Sexuality class I took last spring. It was a hybrid model class and we only met in person a few times, but it was one of the classes I felt most connected to the other students because of the unique community Prof Povitz fostered. I am normally a pretty shy student, but I always felt really comfortable sharing my ideas in her class. She also was so flexible in assignments while still making sure they were academically challenging and rigorous. Her lesson plans were so unique; with different formats each week, classes were always exciting and engaging. Prof Povitz is definitely one of if not my top favorite professors I had at Midd. She brings so much to both to History and GSFS department, she absolutely deserves tenure and partner hire!
I took History of US Food Politics with Professor Povitz, and it was an invaluable course in my independent food studies major. No other food studies classes (or classes in other departments) have been as helpful and useful in outlining how food policy in the US got to be how it is, and the course was foundational in my major discovery and declaration process. Professor Povitz was one of the first professors I’ve had whose pedagogy adequately accommodated my learning style and needs. She is deeply knowledgeable on her subject matter and she cares deeply about her students. Also, just seeing the types of courses she offers in the course catalog has been very helpful for me to be seeing representation of and focus on marginalized groups that aren’t well represented in courses at Middlebury outside of a select few departments, where only certain facets of their experiences are taught. I am so grateful that i was able to learn from Professor Povitz, and I think she absolutely deserves tenure at this college.
Dear Middlebury College, I am a first year student and I was in Professor P’s FYS. Her class was something I always looked forward to and I feel like I gained valuable technical skills applicable to my future college courses. Her engaging personality and classroom fostered a place where my classmates and I could have intimate discussions and feel safe sharing. What I’m trying to say is that Povitz helped me feel more confident in sharing my own thoughts and ideas in a classroom setting. Over the semester our class became really close all thanks to Povitz. Some of my best friends I’ve made here at Middlebury were from that class. Letting Professor Povitz go would be a huge loss. She is not only an incredible lecturer and extremely kind and caring person but she has done so much for the LGBTQ+ and Jewish population here at Midd. Representation is the key to creating a comfortable space for all. Being from the LGBTQ+ community herself, Povitz can empathize easily with other LGBTQ+ students. Basically she brings a ‘different’ perspective to the classroom that is an important aspect of students gaining a democratic education. Having her as a professor and being able to talk to and learn from her unique perspectives is invaluable. Please reconsider. We love Professor P.
Professor Povitz has encouraged me in more ways than can be put into words to take advantage of my education and advocate for myself. As my first year advisor, she has given me tools to better my writing, to navigate the difficulties of adjusting to thus new environment, AND has helped me find my voice in the classroom. Never have I encountered a professor who genuinely wants to connect and hear students in the way Povitz does. She is a wonderful and caring professor, with a deep love for her career and middlebury. Povitz is a valued member of this community and it is important for Middlebury as an institution to recognize this. Without Povitz, many students who share intersections of their identity with hers (like myself) will lose an important role model and educator that influences students lives for the better. She has so much to offer to this community and letting her go would be a massive mistake.
I have only been in professor Povitz’s class for two weeks, but I already consider her to be one of the best professors I have had here. I strongly urge the administration to do whatever they can to keep her at middlebury
To whom it concerns, I took Practicing Oral History this last j term and she was an amazing professor. One of the best I’ve ever had at Middlebury without a doubt. She leads discussions with kindness and trust. Middlebury is a much better place with her as a professor. Sincerely, Lily Staron