Local

Students voice concerns about Emory cuts

September 17th, 2012

A number of students, faculty and staff at Emory University are voicing concerns about cuts that were recently announced by the university. Emory administrators plan to close the Journalism program, the departments of Physical Education and Visual Arts and the Division of Educational Studies. The school also plans to suspend graduate programs in Spanish, Economics and the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts.

Students gathering in the center of Emory’s campus say the recent cuts are an attack on the liberal arts and violate Emory’s mission. Jonathan Demar is a senior Journalism student.

“From where I am in New York, people consider Emory the Ivy League of the south, or the frontier for liberal arts education. It’s kind hard to believe that now when you have all these cuts, especially journalism.”

His concerns were shared by senior economics and history major Ben Leiner.

“I feel like the university has a responsibility to me, as someone who among students who are paying thousands of dollars of tuition, that we should have the opportunity to take what we want and to mold an academic experience into something that we can take on in our lives and market. I feel like Emory no longer represents that goal, and that’s a shame.”

In addition to students, some faculty members like Dr. Julia Kjelgaard say they were caught off guard by the cuts

Kjelgaard chairs Emory’s Visual Arts Department, which is being phased out.

“There was no discussion, and I just feel that’s unfair.”

And senior lecturer in Emory’s Department of Economics, Dr. Shomu Banerjee, says the cuts will also impact undergraduate students who are in departments where graduate programs are being suspended. He told students top faculty will go elsewhere.

“Your program is about to be reduced to level of a community college.”

As a result, those voicing their concerns say they plan to organize and fight the decision.

University officials say the changes are not a result of budget cuts but rather a reinvestment into enhancing the college of arts and sciences.