Several dozen protesters gathered outside the University System of Georgia building in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday to demand the reinstatement of academic programs and student resource centers at Kennesaw State University.
As a Board of Regents meeting was held above, the group of about 60 chastised KSU for deactivating several majors, including its Black studies program. While the school maintains the majors were discontinued because of poor enrollment, some faculty claim Kennesaw intentionally undercounted the number of students enrolled.
The Georgia NAACP has requested a meeting and explanation from university president Kathy “Kat” Schwaig. If they don’t get it, a lawsuit might be coming.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“We have lawyers on standby and we’re still waiting for the meeting,” Gerald Griggs, an attorney and president of the Georgia NAACP, told the crowd. “You can meet with us outside, or you can meet with us down the street at the federal courthouse.”
Wednesday was the latest outcry against the decision. During a commencement ceremony last week, a student was escorted out after walking the stage with a sign that read, in part, “Black Studies Matter.” His message appears to have inspired a student at the University of Oklahoma, who walked the graduation stage wearing a black T-shirt carrying the same message in solidarity with the KSU students.
“I want to acknowledge the young brother at KSU, the lone Black Studies major who protested in silence and was escorted out of his own graduation ceremony,” the student, Shania Dean, wrote on Facebook. “To you: You are not alone. I see you. I stand with you. And I, too, do not mind standing alone when the cause is righteous.”
In a statement, KSU said the deactivation followed institutional protocols and that it will continue to offer the courses. Undergraduate programs are expected to maintain a three-year rolling average of 10 graduates per year, said KSU spokesperson Tammy DeMel, adding that the average was 5.7 for Black studies, 6.3 for philosophy and 7.7 for technical communications.
“The programs underwent a multi-year remediation process, which included annual improvement plans focused on increasing enrollment,” said DeMel. “As the required benchmarks were not met, the University deactivated these programs.”
Black studies faculty argue the university kept their average low using a count that “intentionally excludes double majors.”
According to a letter from faculty addressed to Schwaig and Provost Ivan Pulinkala, the major was reported to only have four students as of this spring. “When students pursuing a double major are included, enrollment rises to 39,” reads the letter.
As the Trump administration has targeted diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities, protesters accused KSU of engaging in “preemptive compliance,” effectively falling in line before it’s legally mandated.
A petition asks the school to reverse the deactivation of the programs. It also claims the school is “restructuring” identity-based resource centers on campus.
In an email sent to students last month, Eric Arneson, vice president for student affairs, said that the school was responding to federal actions. The Department of Student Engagement and Belonging would be changed to the Department of Student Engagement and Support. And Arneson wrote that “various student programs, centers, and initiatives will be replaced by a new framework of support hubs.”
While Arneson did not specify which programs, websites for the LGBTQ+ center and cultural awareness resource center display error messages. A link for the Hispanic/Latino Outreach & Leadership in Academics program redirects to the student affairs homepage.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Simran Mohanty, a junior at KSU, said the centers technically still exist but they are harder to find. For instance, she said their Instagram pages have been deleted and that pride flags at the LGBTQ+ center were removed. Mohanty said students who are new to campus will struggle to find resources that she and other students value.
“KSU moved the women’s resource center into a building with barely any foot traffic, claiming it gives them more space,” Mohanty told the crowd. “But what good is space if no one can find it?”
Other programs have been discontinued at schools across the state, including at Georgia Tech, which recently “restructured” some of its centers. Georgia Tech students, as well as students from Georgia State University, attended the Wednesday rally, voicing fears that majors at their own schools could be deactivated next.
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