SAINT LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - Students and alumni are concerned about the future of the African American Studies Department at Saint Louis University. It was launched 5 years ago. It's one of 29 programs across eight of SLU’s colleges and schools that the University says are currently under review.
In a statement sent to KMOX News, the University says it's "reviewing academic programs to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of students, prepare graduates for success, and advance the University's academic mission." The programs span "a range of academic fields that includes STEM, health sciences, arts and humanities, and professional and applied disciplines."
KMOX's Total Information AM interviewed Dr. Chris Tinson, Director of the African American Studies program, and associate professor in History at Saint Louis University about the review process. Tinson says it's an historic program -- one of only four of its kind at American Jesuit colleges and universities. While classes in African American studies have been taught since the 1970's, the department wasn't formed until 2021. "We've been stressing not only the historic nature, but the way in which we prepare our students for navigating the challenging world that's really polarized right now. We need to create more creative, courageous thinkers. We've produced a lot of students who go on to graduate school, who teach in K-12, who open up businesses, who are entrepreneurs, who go to law school." Tinson adds he wants to make sure the university sees that.
Tinson says it typically takes a department 7 to 10 years to show its ultimate impact. "When you are in a climate where issues around DEI, racial justice have been attacked it's harder for those students to have confidence when they enter the university to join those degrees right away."
He says the department and university community can work together to do a better job marketing the program.
KMOX asked Tinson if he has any fear the department could be eliminated. "It's always in the back of your mind. But I would hate to think that our university would like to sever that kind of relationship with the African American community in the St. Louis region."
In it's statement about review of all programs, Saint Louis University says, "The review is designed to be holistic, considering factors that include enrollment, workforce and market demand, student persistence and graduation, financial outcomes, faculty workload, and curriculum efficiency. Recommendations may include investing in a program, sustaining it in its current form, reimagining it, or closing it." You can read the full statement sent to KMOX News below.
Click on the player below to listen to the complete interview with Dr. Tinson.
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY STATEMENT
As part of our strategic planning efforts, Saint Louis University is reviewing academic programs to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of students, prepare graduates for success, and advance the University's academic mission.
Twenty-nine programs across eight of SLU’s colleges and schools are currently undergoing review, spanning a range of academic fields that includes STEM, health sciences, arts and humanities, and professional and applied disciplines.
These programs were identified either through the University's previous Academic Program Viability and Sustainability Review process or by the dean of the college or school. No decisions have been made about the future of any program currently under review.
The review is designed to be holistic, considering factors that include enrollment, workforce and market demand, student persistence and graduation, financial outcomes, faculty workload, and curriculum efficiency. Recommendations may include investing in a program, sustaining it in its current form, reimagining it, or closing it.
A recommendation to close a degree program also does not necessarily mean that SLU would stop offering courses or supporting teaching and scholarship in that discipline. In those circumstances, the University would consider how important curricular and scholarly contributions could continue or serve students in new ways.
We recognize that the value of an academic program cannot be measured by enrollment or financial performance alone. Academic programs reflect the teaching, scholarship and intellectual contributions of our faculty as well as the interests and aspirations of our students. That is why the review considers a range of academic, student and institutional factors rather than relying on any single measure.
The reviews are expected to conclude in November, with recommendations anticipated by the end of the fall semester. If the University ultimately decides to discontinue a degree program, SLU will provide a path for students currently enrolled in that program to complete their degrees.
Going forward, all academic programs at SLU will undergo regular reviews to ensure they continue to meet students’ needs and support the University’s mission of teaching, research and service.
