As is the case with many other Humanities-related programs at UH-Manoa, the administration is considering “temporarily stopping out” the MA program in Art History until “the faculty can modify the program to attract more students.” This is despite the fact that the department has already successfully corrected every concern listed in the administration’s own recommendation document. In short, like other programs, the decision is not based on the actual value and health of the program, but purely on low graduate student enrolment and a low prioritization of the Humanities at the university.
I argue that the MA program in Art History does more than train graduate students. It is vital to the undergraduate teaching mission of the Department of Art and Art History. Its graduate students contribute to and enrich the various Area Studies programs at the university. And it is the only Art History graduate program in North America and the Pacific focussed entirely on premodern, modern and contemporary art of Asia and the Pacific, making it central to the university’s Asia-Pacific mission.
If you can, please do the following to show support for the Art History MA program and for the Humanities at large at UH-Manoa:
- Add your name to the petition to keep the Art History MA program
- Include testimony under signatures in support of Art History/Humanities at UH-Manoa
- Forward this email on to others you think might be willing to voice support and concern.
- Send additional messages of support to the following:
• UH President: David Lassner <david@hawaii.edu> with cc’ to:
• UH-Manoa Provost: Michael Bruno <mbruno2@hawaii.edu>
• COVID19@hawaii.edu (the official feedback window for the cutback proposals)
• Dean of CALL: Peter Arnade <parnade@hawaii.edu>
• Associate Dean of CALL: Tom Brislin <tbrislin@hawaii.edu>
• Associate Dean of CALL: Kimi Kondo-Brown <kondo@hawaii.edu>
• Chair of Art and Art History: Kate Lingley <chairart@hawaii.edu>
• COVID19@hawaii.edu (the official feedback window for the cutback proposals)
• Dean of CALL: Peter Arnade <parnade@hawaii.edu>
• Associate Dean of CALL: Tom Brislin <tbrislin@hawaii.edu>
• Associate Dean of CALL: Kimi Kondo-Brown <kondo@hawaii.edu>
• Chair of Art and Art History: Kate Lingley <chairart@hawaii.edu>
John Szostak, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Japanese Art History
University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Associate Professor of Japanese Art History
University of Hawai’i at Manoa