Global Perspective In Memoriam: End of International Studies Program
Reported by Aurora Biggers
Illustrated by Carla Cieza Espinoza
NEWBERG, Ore. — On July 3, students in the history, international studies, and politics programs received an email from Dr. Caitlyn Corning, the new Chair of the Department of History and Politics at George Fox University (GFU), announcing the end of the international studies (IS) program.
Corning’s communication to students stated, “the university will not be accepting new students to the international studies major after this fall.” According to Corning, the decision to “phase out” the program was a part of a long process of discussions and lay-offs that occurred this year.
The decision to phase out the IS program included cuts to faculty; Dr. Ron Mock and Dr. Steve Winterberg will no longer be teaching at the university, students were told. Winterberg taught nine IS courses and his removal from faculty was “a devastating loss,” Corning said.
In an interview, Corning said that these courses are expected to remain at the university. “We are committed to seeing current [IS] students succeed and graduate,” she said, “We care, and we are here for you.”
Dr. Gina Johnson, associate professor of political science and international studies, is currently on maternity leave but stated in an email correspondence, “It was certainly disappointing to find out we would be phasing out the [IS] program.” The IS program is often attractive to students “who didn't know what they wanted to do career-wise but knew they wanted an international experience,” Johnson wrote. Current freshmen are the last class to enroll in the program; the Department of History and Politics will teach out the major.
Johnson noted the department’s plans to preserve many aspects of the IS program. For example, the political science major will be made “more adaptable for students interested in international affairs, diplomacy, and development work.” Popular facets of the program like Juniors Abroad and Semester Abroad, which are open to all university students, will remain.
“While I am really disappointed to lose this major,” Johnson wrote, “there are still many great options at GFU and in our department for students who are interested in global and cultural experiences.”
Corning suggested that there may be an opportunity for students in the political science major to choose a concentration in international studies. However, politics professor Dr. Mark Hall said this is “unlikely.” Both professors agreed that decisions for the future of the political science major are in flux.
Some alumni and current students have expressed concerns about how the end of the program will impact the culture on campus. One of the integral values of the program is encouraging a global perspective. GFU IS 2018 graduate Katie Wells said of the program’s eventual end, “it will not be a positive impact, it won’t diversify campus.”
Wells mentioned GFU’s familiar “Be Known” promise. “It’s rather introspective. The international studies program caused you to look outwards, and there is great power in knowing others—their cultures, backgrounds, and identities,” she said.
Even with the proposed plan to incorporate the IS major into the political science major, Wells says she would not choose to study at GFU or major in political science because her interest was specifically targeted in international cultural studies.
Winterberg stated his “disappointment” in the program’s end, though the decision was, “on some levels, not surprising.” The former professor acknowledged the financial realities which led to the program’s fate but said, “I would argue we need more of an emphasis on cross-cultural understanding and engagement right now, not less.”
Many students and faculty noted Winterberg’s crucial voice in the program, but when reminded of this acclaim, he said, “values and missions are more than one individual. My prayer, my hope, is that those values are not lost.”
The core value of the IS program, according to Winterberg, is understanding that “all people are created in the image of God and granted divine human dignity.” These values, Winterberg said, are not limited to an individual and will be carried on by remaining faculty.
Meg Cecil, senior IS and sociology major, echoed others' concerns about the program ending saying, “I am heartbroken; the IS program taught an important set of skills that all students, regardless of major, should have the opportunity to study.”
Claiming the program was an asset to the university, Cecil said, “Fox designed the major really cleverly because it hit everything...and it taught you to understand what the Body of Christ can look like around the world.”
And that is the unifying homage and memorialization of the IS program, one which Hall believes will continue on.
“We, as a department, and as a campus, have a commitment to be engaged with the world … we will not lose our global perspective,” Hall said.
Illustrated by Carla Cieza Espinoza