A new African Studies minor officially passed the Committee on Educational Policy and Curriculum in an Arts & Sciences faculty meeting held Feb. 27. The approval of this minor, part of the Department of Afro-American and African Studies, represents the first opportunity for students at the University to receive recognition for study that concentrates solely onAfrica.
A Growing Interest
According to Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton, interim director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute of Afro-American and African Studies and faculty advisor for the new minor, students have actively expressed interest in an African Studies minor at the University for several years. This year, however, the African Studies Initiative, lead by fourth-year College student Josephine Mwaura, implemented the change.
"They put together a very persuasive case," Hoehler-Fatton said. "[They] presented it to several African faculty and graduate students and brought it to me."
Those involved in forming the program said a variety of student interests and concerns lead to the creation of the minor.
Hoehler-Fatton said there was interest among students in majors other than Afro-American and African studies who want to be recognized for a concentration in African studies. For example, Mwaura said interest for the minor also came from Foreign Affairs students pursuing a concentration on Africa.
"[They] couldn't fulfill their concentration," she said. "There weren't enough classes focused on Africa."
According to History Prof. Joseph Miller, another source of interest in the minor came from students who felt that courses focusing on Africa were taught mainly as background to Afro-American studies.
Miller also the University has seen a growth in the number of students of African background over thepast ten years, which has prompted more attention to the state of African studies at the University.
The Initiative
According to Mwaura, last year Wairimu Mburathi and Paulina Haikola, graduates of the class of 2006, led the African Studies Initiative and helped facilitate the process to create a new minor.
"They contacted faculty and got the word out there about the fact that they want to make [the minor] a reality," she said. "They laid a foundation and we built off of that this year."
The ASI conducted a survey of students before final exams in December in order to gauge student interest in the minor and compiled the results in January, according to Stephanie DeWolfe first-year College student and ASI member.
Mwaura added that the ASI gave the survey to students in anthropology classes and small Afro-American Studies classes.
According to survey results, 76 percent of students said they supported a greater number and variety of courses on Africa at the University, and 79 percent of students said they felt that an African Studies minor or major would add to the breadth of the student curriculum. Also, more than 30 percent of students surveyed said they had not been able to enroll in courses on Africa because they had been full; 24 percent said in addition to being prevented from enrolling in courses, they had to refocus their academic attention because there were not enough courses offered on Africa.
"There is a core number of students that are really interested in it," Mwaura said.
DeWolfe also said several people surveyed opposed the implementation of a minor or major on African Studies in the University's curriculum.
"We definitely got things like 'the current offering of courses is enough' [and] 'I don't care,'" she said.
In addition, Mwaura said the ASI conducted research to compare the University's African Studies programs to those at other colleges and universities.
"I was amazed," she said. "Harvard offers ... a variety of African languages. I believe for a school that's known as the 'Harvard of the South,' we have a lot of catching up to do."
She added that Virginia Tech has an African Studies minor, with comprehensive courses.
"What amazed me also was the fact that they offered classes that were very focused on Africa, which is something I believe that we need to build up a lot more at U.Va.," she said.
Making the Minor
Miller said members of the ASI approached him and other faculty members in order to help them understand the process of creating a program for a minor.
"[The ASI members] gathered information about student support, petitioned
faculty and defined what they wanted ... and proposed it to the Arts & Sciences Committee on Educational Policy and Curriculum," he said.
Miller said the committee is responsible for evaluating proposals for academic programs.
"It's their responsibility to look at all the circumstances and recommend it to the faculty and vote yes or no," he said. "And they voted yes."
He explained that the faculty is ultimately in charge of the education of students at the University, and one of their concerns in considering any program is the University's ability to provide enough courses to meet the requirements.
Miller said it was determined that there were enough courses to make an African studies minor.
Fourth-year College student Azeez Shodeinde became the first student to declare an African Studies minor on Monday. Although he says he is very excited about the minor, he said he was disappointed by the length of time it took "a prestigious university that claims diversity" to implement a recognized focus on African Studies.
"We don't practice what we preach," he said.
Got what it takes?
In order to receive a minor in African Studies, students must complete six courses totaling 20 credits, including African History 201 and 202. The remaining credit hours must be completed through courses approved by the African Studies faculty advisor. Students must maintain a 2.0 in all of these classes in order to achieve a minor.
According to Mwaura, although the minor would ideally eventually become a major, there are not currently enough faculty members or courses to accommodate this goal.
Mwaura said she is dissatisfied with the current course selection for African Studies at the University.
"I still feel that there [aren't] enough classes that offer you a good perspective of what Africa is like and what is going on there today," she said.
Shodeinde added that a broad African Studies program would help facilitate his future plans of working in Africa by helping him to better understand the continent.
"I'm interested in my country and my continent, he said. "Three political classes [about] Africa doesn't give me a good grasp on it."
Looking Forward
Mwaura said while she is excited about the new minor, it is only the first step in offering students a comprehensive African Studies program.
"It's not what the students imagined," she said. "It's not what I imagined."
She said the next step would be to add more faculty and courses to the curriculum, as well as focus on present-day Africa.
"I want classes that really get to the core of what's going on in Africa," she said. "Africa is going to be in the center of what [goes] on in the future ... there's a lot going on there now."
In addition, DeWolfe said while she would eventually like to see an African Studies major at the University, her goal is to create a solid foundation for the African studies program rather than rush into creating a major.
"I'd rather do it right than do it fast," she said.
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