Students enrolled in a soon-to-be terminated Elliott School of International Affairs master’s program sent a letter to Dean Alyssa Ayres on Thursday, requesting accountability and transparency for officials’ “failure” to provide guidance on their decision to retire the program.
Nine students enrolled in the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies master’s program sent a letter to Ayres in response to her Sept. 6 email to students announcing plans to phase out the program over the next two academic years. The letter, which they also sent to 24 officials and LAHSP faculty, states that students have five requests for information on the decision and alternative program options since the students are “grappling with uncertainty” about their future plans following no additional communication from Ayres since her initial message.
The letter asks officials to provide comprehensive reasoning for the decision to sunset the program, an “impact assessment” detailing course equivalencies in the master of arts in international affairs — or MAIA, the degree which students can switch into if they choose not to continue their LAHSP degree — credit transfers and support resources, and “regular updates” from officials throughout the phaseout. The letter also calls for an open forum for students to ask questions and express concerns to the administration, faculty and advisors and for “working sessions” for students to learn about alternative program options.
“Your sudden and unilateral decision disregards the dedication, time, and financial investment that students have made to this program and the institution itself,” the letter states.
The students planned to meet with Benjamin Hopkins, Elliott’s senior associate dean of academic affairs, Friday and are requesting to meet with Ayres before enrolling in their spring 2024 classes, the letter states. The letter also comes two weeks after 37 LAHSP alumni sent a letter to Ayres denouncing her reasons for sunsetting the program and criticizing the lack of involvement from alumni in the decision-making process, given their involvement in GW and financial contributions.
“It is crucial for you to provide a clear and transparent process to address the concerns and uncertainties of affected students within LAHSP,” the students letter states.
In emails sent first to faculty Aug. 18 and then to students Sept. 6, Ayres announced the termination of the standalone program due to financial constraints, difficulty retaining full-time faculty and low enrollment. Ayres said in the Aug. 18 email to faculty that students already enrolled in the program can choose to complete their degree or transfer into MAIA but did not specify this in the Sept. 6 email to students.
“For those of you currently in the program, this administrative change will not affect your degree, nor will it affect the courses available to you,” Ayres said in the Sept. 6 email to students.
