Working for Asian American Studies Expansion (WAASE)

Working for Asian American Studies Expansion (WAASE) is a continuation of the efforts of student activists from the 90s, who co-founded the Working for an Asian American Studies Program (WAASP). This was part of the Asian American Student Union’s leadership structure in hopes of establishing an Asian American Studies Program that would create a permanent program of study, faculty, and staff.

2021-2022: Students Demand an AAST Major

At the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester, the Asian American Student Union (AASU) Social Justice Task Force launched a petition to push for an Asian American Studies major at UMD. The petition reached 145 signatures and collected testimonies from current students and alumni highlighting the impact of AAST on their personal, academic, and future journeys.

On March 2, AASU members and AAST minor students, Dahye Kang and M Pease, were featured in The Diamondback article titled, “UMD’s Asian American Student Union task force petitions for Asian American major.” On March 11, AASU member and AAST minor student, Lei Danielle Escobar, published an op-ed in The Diamondback titled, “It’s time for an Asian American studies major at UMD.”

Additionally on March 11, AASU sent a memo to Senior Vice President and Provost Rice to establish a Bachelor of Arts in Asian American Studies. In the memo, AASU highlights that AAST currently has a teaching team of two part-time tenure-track faculty (with primary appointments in other units), one professional track faculty, and two adjunct faculty. Thus, there is a disparity in programmatic support for AAST and calls for the hiring of more faculty as essential. AASU listed a set of recommendations in order to expand AAST into a major-granting department:

  • Reorganize the Asian American Studies program into an academic department within either the College of Arts and Humanities or the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences after consulting with the faculty and administrative officers of the respective colleges;

  • Cluster hire 5 tenured/tenure-track faculty members on 100% full time appointments who home unit is the new Asian American Studies department;

  • Approve a 30-credit Bachelor of Arts in Asian American Studies.

Four days later (March 15, 2022), AAST Director, Dr. Julie Park, sent Provost Rice a letter of support in response to AASU’s memo, agreeing that the hiring of additional faculty is required to establish and support an AAST major. The letter was signed by AAST core faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, the AAST Advisory Committee, affiliate faculty, as well as AAST donors.

Provost Rice immediately responded to the letters expressing wholehearted agreement about the importance of Asian American Studies in the curriculum at UMD, stating that the request is also consistent with the University’s strategic plan’s emphasis on cultivating diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus and in our broader society.

2022-2023: AAST Expansion Efforts

On March 8, 2023, AAST and the Asian American Student Union co-hosted a town hall on AAST expansion efforts. The Town Hall kicked off with a screening of the AAST Now! Documentary, highlighting the origins of AAST by student activists and the development of the AAST minor program. As in the past, student activism is driving the growth of Asian American Studies on our campus today. Student demands for an AAST Major were presented to Provost Rice last spring (2022). A group of AASU leaders and Director Wong met with Dean Cohen (UGST) and Provost Rice at the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester to share data and underscore student interest in Asian American Studies. The Town Hall was an opportunity to keep this momentum going!

We highlighted:  

  • Growth - from 2013 to 2022, AAST Minor enrollment grew from 22 to 114;

  • Robust course enrollments - for Academic Year 2021-2022, AAST offered 18 classes and enrolled 750 students; In the Spring of 2023, 11 out of 12 AAST classes had waitlists.

Our Fall 2022 AAST survey showed that of the 144 students (minors and students in AAST classes) who participated, 36% would consider enrolling in an AAST Major if it were available.

This is a strong foundation for growth toward a potential Major in Asian American Studies. We discussed 1) consistent and increasing numbers of AAST minors and 2) hiring at least one more faculty member as critical next steps before a Major can be explored. It became clear that to sustain expansion, we must show interest in the existing AAST Minor program and we must also be able to meet the teaching demands of increased enrollments. In 2013, there were 3 tenure track faculty in the AAST program. Today, despite the surge in AAST Minors and robust enrollments in AAST classes, there are 2 tenure track faculty in the AAST program, along with 2 full-time professional track faculty, as well as a postdoctoral researcher.

We had a lively discussion among students, staff, and faculty about ideas for expansion and ideas for future class offerings. As a follow-up to these developments, AASU and AAST have been working together on a proposal to hire a new faculty member in the Asian American Studies Program and it is currently moving forward. 

The town hall was covered in The Diamondback: UMD Asian American studies program holds town hall about creating major.

2024-2025: “AAST at 25” Campaign

This year, we have launched our “AAST at 25” campaign, which not only celebrates our milestone 25th year, but also focuses on intentional efforts to strengthen and sustain our minor program.

The WAASE organizers will help AAST with:

  • Creating stronger connections with APIDA student organizations to enhance AAST visibility and participation;

  • Developing programs that highlight the value of AAST;

  • Enhancing our social media and communications impact.

New campus partners that we have connected with:

  • A. James Clark School of Engineering

  • Freshmen Connection (Undergraduate Studies)

  • School of Public Health

  • Letters and Sciences (Undergraduate Studies)

  • College Park Scholars (Undergraduate Studies)