The African/African American studies program has been granted a two-year extension to meet Arkansas Department of Higher Education standards for its Bachelor of Arts degree. 

“The extension of two years is very good news and does provide us with a path forward,” President Houston Davis said. 

Michael Kithinji, director of the AAAS program, said the removal of the program, despite creating a plan for new student recruitment, was announced at the end of the fall 2021 semester, specifically near the last day of exams.

A letter of dissent, signed by over 70 members of faculty, was drafted over break, said Kithinji. 

The letter, addressed to Provost Patricia Poulter and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Thomas Williams, called upon UCA to “honor its commitment to diversity by reinvesting in African and African American studies at UCA.”

The major fell below viability standards, which led to the ADHE suggesting it’s removal. This program is the only stand-alone AAAS major track in the state.

ADHE’s specific viability policy for a bachelor’s program, such as the AAAS major, requires a three-year rolling average of six graduates, or 18 graduates every three years. Thirteen people have received the degree in the 16 years it has existed.

Three students have declared AAAS as their first major and three have declared it as their second major, making six students currently in the major. 

The program, according to the letter and Kithinji, receives no funding or support from the university. 

“They don’t care about us,” Kithinji said. “Two professors [in the program] have left in recent years and none of them have been replaced. They are hiding behind the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.”

A Jan. 24 email from Davis, addressed to all faculty and staff, said, “UCA has been in contact with the [ADHE] coordinating board during the past week to request another option other than deletion.”

“Even a step of declaring the major inactive would have allowed our faculty time to identify strategies to maintain and recruit to the major,” Davis said.

The letter of dissent stated that to “discontinue the major, which was made without the input of the faculty…is unnecessary under the guidance provided by Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy 5.12.”

This policy states that “institutions may request a reduction in the viability targets for specific academic programs that are crucial to the institution’s role, scope, and mission,” so long as students can graduate in a timely manner. 

The program’s nonviable status could be appealed for a short period, according to Poulter, but would eventually have to meet eligibility requirements. 

“Even if we are granted the lowest possible threshold for a bachelor’s degree, which is a three-year rolling average of four, they must graduate a minimum of 12 individuals every three years,” Poulter said. 

Rather than going through the appeals process to lower viability standards, UCA initially planned to discontinue the major said Kithinji. 

“We penned the letter, then students took over,” Kithinji said. 

A TikTok, posted by Kenneth Avery Jr., a UCA alumnus who goes by Kavery on social media, used the hashtag #UCAkeepAAAS to spread awareness of what was happening at UCA. Copies of the letter, shared by Avery, quickly spread on Twitter and Instagram. 

A petition signing was organized by UCA’s Student Government Association, led by President Mya Hall in support of the program.

“Mya tried to intervene last fall,” Kithinji said. “She would try to meet with people and it was always — well, nothing can be done.”

Hall is an African American studies major. Hall said the program does not receive funding.

Kithinji, in response, said, “because it is an interdisciplinary program, we are not given money. We have no faculty.” 

“They are used to running it cheap; they do not value the degree,” Kithinji said.

“Each academic department receives operating budgets,” Poulter said. “That is then used to support the degrees offered in that department. There is not a single model of approach.”

Funding for the program comes through the history department, which houses AAAS. 

Kithinji said none has been made readily available. 

“The major does not cost anything. Every student that graduated is a net gain,” Kithinji said. “They are gaslighting us by saying it is not viable. They are not investing in us.”

A self-study, conducted by Louis L. Woods of Middle Tennesse University and Victor O. Okafor of Eastern Michigan University, reviewed the programs viability.

“The program needs resources,” the executive summary said.

“Without a budget, the AAAS Program Director must beg the history department for necessary funds for programming and recruitment efforts. While the history department chair has accommodated many of the program’s immediate requests, having no renewable pot of money makes planning difficult.”

“Without administrative help, the director is burdened with an array of administrative tasks making recruitment efforts much less effective and making long-term planning impossible,” the executive summary said.

Kithinji said of the review, “Administration does not want to address this, what is in the content of this study. They are hellbent on cutting the major.”

Kithinji said the initial decision to pause the program, announced in an email from Williams on Jan. 24, was made in “bad faith.”

An email from the UCA president’s office on Jan. 24  changed the course of the major, stating it was still active and had received a two-year extension.

“To expect students in this environment to enroll…all they see is instability. They don’t want to join that,” Kithinji said. 

The extension, which according to the President’s office, will give the program time to “continue its recruitment of students and increase the number of students matriculating to graduation,” has not yet set it’s parameters for viability.

“We will begin meeting soon to discuss this,” Poulter said. 

“We will continue to voice our concerns,” Kithinji said. “There is no goodwill. They like to do performative things.”

The minor, which remains viable, has seven students. If the major is removed, the minor will remain active.