The economy is tanking, as you know, and the budgets (and endowments) at colleges and universities are being hit hard. For example, one university writing program in particular had a faculty member retire, another denied tenure and a third resigned—all within the same year. This loss of staff forced the university to launch a search to replace two of the three positions. Then came the across-the-board job freeze experienced by most universities, and the search was canceled. Unfortunately, this is becoming a familiar scenario in writing programs across the country—although perhaps not as profound—so if you are a graduate student and find yourself in a program with staffing issues, here are the questions you should be asking yourself and your department administrators:

Who will be teaching the writing and readings courses you expect to take? Will there be professionals around to guide writing, editing, publication and job-hunting efforts? Do you really want to be guided by part-time faculty or colleagues pulled from literature and composition courses or by writing faculty with experience in other genres? Who will serve as your mentor and who will chair your manuscript committee?

Not to be misunderstood, there are perfectly qualified writers, editors and teachers in English Departments and writing programs, individuals able to fill in for missing faculty for a little while. But in the long run, remember that as an MFA student you are not paying big bucks in tuition or working for slave wages as teaching assistants to be taught by last-minute-replacement faculty for extended periods. MFA students almost always choose their programs based on the faculty they will have the opportunity to work with. Of course, sometimes professors resign or go on sabbatical, but departments are obliged to replace them with alacrity, when possible. Now we don’t know how long the job freezes will last, or how long it will take to fill the faculty positions, but one thing is clear: The people who will be most vulnerable—who stand to lose the most from these job freezes—are the students in the program.

The academic world is so incredibly hierarchical—and writing programs are no different. Graduate students in writing programs are vulnerable on so many different levels: academic (grading), administrative (financially support) and the creative work itself. This triple academic gauntlet can be so intimidating that MFA students don’t often speak out to complain or demand—even when issues as serious as inadequate staffing become prevalent.

But they should. MFA students should organize, approach program directors and department chairs, and insist that competent faculty—real writers—be recruited to mentor and guide them. (As the many successful low residency programs have demonstrated, good writers can be recruited to work with students individually on a one-on-one part time basis). Many writers have no interest in full-time tenure stream appointments. In addition, tuition should perhaps be reduced for grad students suffering from the job freeze. Teaching assistantships, fellowships, work-study opportunities should be extended to make up for the time students may not receive the guidance and mentorship originally promised by the program.

Remember, without you, there would be no program, no inexpensive (yet highly profitable) instructors to teach comp courses, no overqualified bodies to do scut work for senior faculty. Grad students are the heart and soul of English departments and writing programs, and thus have more power than they often realize. Speak out. If your writing program is not giving you what you need and what was promised, find another. Your years studying writing should be a rare and formative moment in your life. Protect your financial and emotional investment. Fight for your future with the same passion and commitment with which you write.