Interim President Murray and Interim Provost Rundquist announced last week that they were looking to cut funding to the Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) Creative Writing Program (CWP). To many students, faculty and alumni, the program is a key factor or even the sole factor that brought them to the university.
A program that is already considered scarce across the country could now be stretched even thinner. The CWP gathers a robust array of enrollees who, after graduation, work in publishing, journalism and a variety of other careers that impact the sociological, political and literary landscape. Any and all forms of art in this nation are currently under an onslaught by a new federal administration that has made it apparent they will not abide by our constitution. Hamline has an opportunity to either take a stance against this oppression in academia or to support it with silent complicity.
Hamline prides itself as a champion of social justice where it advocates for its community to “Take the Lead.” It is ironic that the leaders of our university have not taken a lead or stance in any regard to our current political climate through their past, current and future actions. By abolishing a program that allows creativity and expression, they are removing a large portion of our campus identity. An identity that faculty and students have worked together for decades to create.
The “Water~Stone Review,” a literary journal founded at Hamline, has uplifted new voices and encouraged critical review of literature for over 25 years. They publish in a highly consistent manner, and have provided opportunities for students through their sister publication “Runestone.” “Runestone” is a course taught by English professors, giving both learning opportunities for undergraduate students and teaching opportunities for graduate students. Through their community building and literary prowess, Water~Stone Review staff have shaped the literary landscape of both Minnesota and the greater Midwest area.
Should the journal be ended at the hands of our current — and predominantly interim — administration, a long-standing and wide-reaching program will be lost, which will then become history. Administrators must reconsider how their choices are going to impact the broader Hamline community.
Administration, we are thoroughly disappointed. We are not just disappointed in the idea of cutting important aspects of the creative writing program and the university as a whole, but in the fact that you would let students think they could get the opportunity of a lifetime just to rip it away. You are not only hurting students and faculty today, but those who would have been eager to enroll in the future. It is imperative in a world full of uncertainty that we have the training and experience to live after college and you are taking that away. For individuals whose duty it is to have the best interests of the university in mind, this move comes off as a massive contradiction to that mission. It has shaken our faith in the administration greatly, especially as a university that boasts its ingenuity, vulnerability and attention to community.
Students, faculty, staff and even alumni, please continue to fight to keep the creative writing program alive. Those of us not directly involved with the program must help our peers be able to continue working, pursuing their degrees and gaining valuable experience for their future endeavors. Writing is an important part of a democratic society. Whether it be journalism, research or narrative storytelling, it is our responsibility to defend the ability to write for a better future. We encourage you all to speak up for what you believe in — so email your administrators. They need to know how this will impact the community in which they stand for.