In the months leading up to my freshman year at Hamline I found myself filtering through the list of majors and minors on the Hamline University webpage. Size-twelve font text laid out the list of requirements for each area of study. Lists of courses painted the page with possibilities for my unknown future and it had me overwhelmed to say the least. As I came to the very end of the list at the very bottom of the webpage, “Women’s Studies” popped up. With the click of a button a whole new world was at my fingertips and I knew that I wanted to explore this further. I had always been interested in feminism and women’s rights but I wasn’t sure how I could put my interest into action until I found the Women’s Studies program at Hamline. I enrolled in Foundations of Women’s Studies my first semester and Socially (Ir)responsible Fashion during my second semester. Both of these classes completely changed my life. My social awareness for the everyday oppression that women face skyrocketed. I developed a greater sense of what women of color, different sexual orientations, classes, and abilities experience in the world. I realized that I could take the tools I learned in these classes and create real change in the world, change that can’t be achieved by sitting in a cubicle or office. I realized that the more I learned about my experience as a woman and the other experiences of women the better understanding I would have about the patriarchal society that perpetuates sexual violence, the wage gap, the glass ceiling, attacks on our reproductive rights, access to education etc. and how all of these have varying degrees of oppression based on race, socioeconomic position, class, sexualiy and ability.
Last week The Oracle published an article titled “Curriculum changes under construction” which revealed that Hamline is considering cutting Women’s Studies, African American Studies, East Asian Studies, and compiling the fine arts into one collective major. They are also considering eliminating all minors. Upon reading the article I was crushed. Questions flooded my mind. How could Hamline cut my beloved program? What about the people who already declared? Why is this news so abrupt? Why aren’t students being involved in this decision? This is our education after all, shouldn’t we have a say in it? I was not the only one confused and angered by the recent news. Many students, especially those being affected, began posting about how we can come together to stop this from happening. As of now, while the question of if the programs will be cut is still pending, we have created a collective student voices, alumni voices, and community voices that are working to save these programs.
It’s important to recognize what the university would lose if we cut these programs. Hamline prides itself for cultivating a diverse group of students and offering diverse areas of study. What does it say about our liberal arts college if we cut out the programs that further our knowledge about social diversity and how to challenge systems of oppression. We would lose students and faculty that bring inclusivity and social awareness to our campus. These majors allow marginalized voices to be moved to the center of discussion/action and if we exclude these programs, we also exclude them. Hamline is still working towards becoming an all inclusive campus and if we cut these programs we set ourselves back.
