"That Linguistics...interacts with other areas doesn't make it not appropriate for department status," said Associate Professor of Linguistics Mark Hale.

"There's a fundamental problem with the reasoning of the administration," said Kent. "While Linguistics applies to many different fields, the fundamental technical courses can only be taught by linguists."

MIT Professor of Linguistics Noam Chomsky, considered by many to be the founder of modern linguistics, earlier this year echoed the students complaints in a letter to President Rudenstine co-authored by MIT Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy Morris Halle.

"We felt [the change to committee status] wasin fact an unfortunate move," said Chomsky lastnight. "The Harvard department has been strong andactive...this will seriously undermine animportant component of the intellectual community.

"This is...another way of saying the programwill disappear," Chomsky added.

And both students and faculty are concernedthat the change will discourage the arrival ofexperts in linguistics.

"It's difficult to have a field present at auniversity if there's no department for it," saidJohn H. O'Neil, a Linguistics graduate student.

"It seems strange to eliminate this departmentwhen we're attracting a lot of students who go onto top graduate schools," Reiss said.

Hale said, "I hope whatever action theadministration takes protects what is now anexcellent department," Hale said