Tufts has a well-deserved reputation for its global outlook. While there is a flourishing interest in Asian history, cultures, languages and literature at Tufts, and we have increased both the number of Asian-related courses and faculty in these disciplines over the last 30 years, very few students actually major or minor in Asian studies. You might be surprised to know that there are currently just four Asian Studies majors (one a senior) and only one Asian Studies minor - and that number is typical.
With this in mind, Asian Studies faculty members took a careful look at how we approach Asian Studies, and proposed to the Committee on Curricula, which includes both faculty and students, that the Asian Studies major and minor be discontinued. The committee unanimously approved the proposal and passed the proposal on to the full faculty of Arts and Sciences. The faculty voted to approve the move on March 12.
We want to emphasize that the study of Asia is still important! It will continue to flourish and even expand at Tufts. No classes will be eliminated and no faculty positions will be lost. The five students who are currently majoring or minoring in Asian Studies will be able to complete their programs with the same level of support they currently enjoy. Current students who want to declare a major or minor in Asian Studies will be able to do so through Friday, April 18, which is the last day of undergrad preregistration.
Furthermore, Tufts students will still be able to concentrate their study on Asia through International Relations (IR), Chinese, Japanese or International Literature and Visual Studies (ILVS). The deans of Arts and Sciences remain fully committed to supporting the study of Asia through such programs. We have also recently hired faculty whose focus is Asia into the departments of history, political science and religion.
Reflecting our commitment to the study of Asia, the deans of Arts and Sciences will sponsor an exciting new Asian Studies symposium series through the Center for Humanities. This will offer an opportunity for faculty members and students to come together for community events twice a semester, something the existing Asian Studies program has never been able to do.
Some historical perspective may be helpful. The Asian Studies major at Tufts was started in the late 1970s, at a time when there was no major that would allow students to focus their studies on Asia in an interdisciplinary fashion and no majors in any Asian language or literature. Since then, there have been many positive developments at Tufts that have contributed to a flourishing interest in Asian history, cultures, languages and literature.
The number of faculty members has increased, and Asia-related courses have become more numerous and varied. Chinese and Japanese majors were established in The Department of German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literatures in the late 1990s. The IR program developed a thematic concentration in East and Southeast Asia and another in Middle East and South Asia. The ILVS major was established, allowing students to take an interdisciplinary approach to international culture while focusing on Asian cultures and literature.
Over time, Tufts students have gravitated to such offerings, which better enabled them to pursue areas of particular interest, rather than the broad Asian Studies field. Interest in Asia is high: we have 26 Chinese majors, 10 Japanese majors, 24 ILVS majors - some of whom concentrate on Asian language/culture - as well as 17 declared IR-East and Southeast Asia majors and 20 declared IR-Middle East and South Asia majors. But only a few students - four - have chosen to pursue their interest through the Asian Studies major.
So, while the study of Asia remains of great relevance to Tufts students, it seems clear that a formal Asian Studies major and minor are no longer the best ways to serve our students. Discontinuing the formal major and minor while adding new elements, such as the symposium series, will make it possible for Asian studies to be more vital and more active than it has been for years.
Elizabeth Remick is an associate professor of comparative politics and director of the Asian studies program. She can be reached at elizabeth.remick@tufts.edu. James M. Glaser is a professor of American politics and political behavior and dean of academic affairs for arts and sciences. He can be reached at james.glaser@tufts.edu.
