Latest news with #BlackStudies
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kennesaw State professors join outcry against removal of Black studies major
The Brief Kennesaw State University is facing criticism from students, and now professors, over its decision to eliminate three majors, including Black Studies. Faculty members argue that the administration bypassed curriculum committees in making the decision, while students suspect political pressure influenced the move. The school has said the decision to let go of certain programs was based on low graduation numbers. KENNESAW, Ga. - Some professors at Kennesaw State have joined their students, voicing strong opposition to the university's recent decision to eliminate three majors, including Black Studies. During a virtual news conference, faculty members condemned the move, calling for the programs to be reinstated. What they're saying Students have expressed concerns that the decision may be influenced by political pressures, particularly from the Trump administration, to eliminate certain types of programs. They are urging the university to reconsider and reinstate the Black Studies and Philosophy majors. RELATED: Kennesaw State students' outcry against removal of Black studies major "If upper administration wants to close a program they can do it without any input from faculty at all," said Dr. Lauren Thompson, an assistant professor of history and chair of the History and Philosophy Curriculum Committee. "The very existence of the multiple curriculum committees across the university belies these excuses and frankly insulting explanations. KSU faculty deserve better and KSU students deserve better." The other side The university, however, maintains that it adhered to standard protocols in deactivating the majors, citing low graduation numbers as the primary reason for their removal. According to a statement from KSU, the Black Studies major, along with two others, averaged fewer than 10 graduates per year, failing to meet the criteria necessary for continuation. "Kennesaw State University followed institutional protocols in the decision to deactivate the Black Studies, Philosophy, and Technical Communications majors. All KSU majors are reviewed annually and held to the same criteria. Courses in Black Studies, Philosophy, and Technical Communications will continue to be offered as minors, electives, and available to all undergraduate students in our general studies curriculum. "Undergraduate programs are expected to maintain a three-year rolling average of at least 10 graduates per year. The Black Studies major has a three-year graduation average of 5.7 degrees per year, while Philosophy averages 6.3 and Technical Communications 7.7. "The programs underwent a multi-year remediation process, which included annual improvement plans focused on increasing enrollment. As the required benchmarks were not met, the University deactivated these programs. "A formal 'teach-out' plan is in place to ensure all currently enrolled students have the opportunity to complete their degrees." The Source Information in this story was previously reported by FOX 5 Atlanta and was taken from a public, virtual news conference that took place on May 10, 2025. Kennesaw State University released a statement on the decision to discontinue certain majors.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kennesaw State students' outcry against removal of Black studies major
The Brief Some students at Kennesaw State University are speaking out after the university removed three majors, including Black Studies. KSU leadership says they're removing the programs due to low enrollment, but students believe the university is caving to political pressure. Students are urging others to also speak out and express their concerns to university leaders, as they worry this move by KSU will make it less welcoming to diverse students. KENNESAW, Ga. - For the first time, we're hearing from students at Kennesaw State University about the school's decision to get rid of several majors of study, including Black Studies. What they're saying "Being a Christian, Egyptian woman who just didn't have a box for her to fill in, I've always felt like I was kind of an outcast in a way," said Kennesaw State University junior Mariam Shafik. She's majoring in both Black Studies and Sociology. She says the Black Studies major has given her a safe space to explore her own culture and how it fits into African-American culture in the U.S. "Black Studies helped me discover the fact that there are people who feel the same way as me and that I can continue to learn more about it," Shafik said. But now KSU says it's doing away with the program. "I was angry. I was fuming. I was furious…also, I'm not going to lie. I did cry, I literally shut down for a minute. I was like, 'What is happening right now?'" Shafik said. Shafik says she immediately went into action trying to figure out how to voice her opposition to the move. "We need to fight for this, we can't just stay silent," she said. The backstory According to KSU's website, students in the Black Studies program examine the Black experience and cultural and historical relations between Africans and people in the Diaspora. The program has been at the university for 20 years. In a statement to FOX 5, a spokesperson for Kennesaw State University said the university made the decision to remove the majors "in accordance with the University System of Georgia's established thresholds." "While the Black Studies, Philosophy, and Technical Communication programs have all consistently fallen short in enrollment and degree output over at least the past 10 years, a two-year teach-out plan will still allow current students to complete their degrees," the statement read. "Faculty will also continue offering courses in these areas for minors, electives, and general education." Local perspective But some students claim low enrollment is not why the university is doing this. "It is absolutely connected to the anti-DEI discussions that are happening," said KSU student Simran Mohanty. Mohanty and fellow student Sebastian Wilson spent Friday urging recent graduates not to shake the university president's hand when they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. "A small act of protest to inform admin that we are dissenting against their changes," Mohanty said. These students claim the university is trying to curry favor with the Trump administration, which has gone after universities for DEI policies and programs. "This is kind of setting a precedent, a very dangerous precedent to put a lot of majors at risk that are all about critical thinking and about humanitarian rights," Mohanty said. FOX 5 reached out to KSU administration to ask for a response to this allegation, but they didn't respond. Shafik believes this decision to do away with her major and the others could make KSU less welcoming to students of all backgrounds. "You claim that you're a diverse school. You claim that you care about students' success…but it doesn't look like you are when you take out programs like this and take away programs that focus on diversity," Shafik said. The Source Information for this story was gathered from interviews with KSU students by FOX 5 reporter Eric Mock and from previous reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
James Augustine William Kiriazis, Austintown, Ohio
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – James Augustine William 'Jim' Kiriazis, 72 of Austintown, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Boardman after battling years of illness. Born on March 31, 1952, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jim was the son of James and Isabel Fernandez Kiriazis. Find obituaries from your high school He graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 1970 and earned a bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University and a master's degree from Kent State University. Jim dedicated his life to serving others. He spent 25 years working for the Bureau of Workers' Compensation for the State of Ohio and contributed to prominent political campaigns. However, his true passion was teaching. For 40 years, he was a beloved professor at Youngstown State University, like his father, where he taught courses in Sociology, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Black Studies, and other disciplines, leaving a lasting impact on countless students. Beyond his career, Jim found joy in numerous hobbies. He loved swimming, collecting coins and sports cards, playing chess, going to movie theaters, and cheering on LSU sports. A talented musician, he played various wind and string instruments and had a deep appreciation for music, especially the work of Frank Zappa. Known for his gift of gab, Jim never missed an opportunity for good conversations, whether on the phone, with friends, or, most importantly, with his four grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by his grandparents; parents, James and Isabel Kiriazis; niece, Alia Hajaj; sister-in-law, Betsy Achladis and in-laws, Randall and Beverly Measmer Mitchell. Left to cherish his memory is his devoted wife of 46 years, Shelley Mitchell Kiriazis; his son, James R. Kiriazis (Sami); his two daughters, Natalie Frohman-Kiriazis (Jimmy) and Rachel Kiriazis and his beloved grandchildren, Penelope and Amelia Kiriazis, and Claire and Joel Frohman-Kiriazis. He is also survived by his three sisters, Karen (Richard), Lisa (John), and Laura; his nephew, Matthew; his brother-in-law, Philip; his niece, Yvonne (Khelifa) and many cousins and close friends. Private family services were held, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date and time. Arrangements handled by Borowski Funeral Services & Oak Meadow Cremation Services. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James Augustine, please visit our floral 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘A quiet wisdom': Vanessa Gallman, Herald-Leader editorial leader, Lantern columnist, dies at 71
Vanessa Gallman Vanessa Gallman, a nationally respected journalist who directed the Lexington Herald-Leader editorial pages for over two decades, died Feb. 3 in Lexington. She was 71. Through a career that spanned more than 40 years and included stints as a reporter and editor at publications including the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Charlotte Observer and Knight-Ridder's Washington bureau, Gallman became known for her equanimity, intelligence and generous spirit. Read Vanessa Gallman's columns in the Lantern. 'Vanessa brought a quiet wisdom to her job as editorial page editor,' said Pam Luecke who, as editor of Herald-Leader, appointed Gallman to the editorial job in 1997. 'She had a strong moral compass and firmly believed that strong journalism could improve society.' During her time as editorial page editor Gallman oversaw work that earned numerous national, regional and state awards, including a Pulitzer Prize won by Joel Pett in 2000 for editorial cartooning. Gallman also helped launch the nonprofit Kentucky Lantern in November 2022. 'She became a regular columnist but beyond that was also a great source of ideas, inspiration and her trademark wisdom,' Lantern Editor Jamie Lucke said. 'Reading a Gallman column was like watching a master brick mason at work. The bricks were facts, she applied just the right amount of opinion and by the end you had an elegantly constructed, basically irrefutable argument. She was a great colleague and friend and I and all the Lantern family will miss her very much.' Gallman brought with her to Kentucky a profound understanding of national politics and policy after covering presidential and congressional campaigns, urban policy, welfare reform and writing a nationally syndicated column. But, at the time of her hiring, she said she was 'eager to get back into a community.' After writing from Washington about national policy, 'I felt a bit isolated and removed from the issues that real people care about, and not just the issues, the solutions — the kind of real community-based solutions to their problems.' In Lexington she directed editorial campaigns that successfully advocated for Lexington's smoking ban, the first in Kentucky, and the Purchase of Development Rights rural land preservation program. 'Lexington and the Herald-Leader were made better thanks to her conscientious research and graceful writing,' Luecke said. Gallman grew up in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she was a student in the groundbreaking Black Studies Program. 'Self-confidence and high expectations were the program's best gifts,' she later wrote. 'There is no way I would have prospered at such a large university without the education and nurturing I received from UNCC Black Studies teachers.' She went on to earn a degree in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began her career as a working journalist with a three-month internship at the Charlotte Observer and stayed five years, winning state awards for spot-news reporting and column writing. While there she covered the religion beat which she later said was an important learning experience. 'Once you can talk to people about why they think they're here and where they think they're going afterward, you can almost talk to people about anything,' she said. At her next stop, the Tallahassee Democrat, she oversaw regional coverage as assistant city editor. Gallman also began her career as a mentor, helping create a program at Florida A&M University, an historically Black college, where journalism students worked at the school paper for credit. The program later became a requirement in the journalism curriculum. Later, as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, she created and managed a student-staffed news service that offered broadcast and online reports that were picked up by regional media, including the Washington Post. As at Florida, working for the service became part of the core curriculum, this time for a masters in public affairs reporting. She remained based in the Washington D.C. area until her move to Lexington, working as metro editor for the Washington Times and assistant city editor for the Washington Post before returning to reporting as a national correspondent for the Knight Ridder Washington bureau. 'I've taught journalism students at predominantly black Florida A&M University and predominantly white University of Maryland. As an editor, I supervised local political reporting at The Washington Post and its conservative rival, The Washington Times,' Gallman wrote in her inaugural column as editorial page editor. 'Through it all, I've learned that people are more alike than different; that you can't be moral and bigoted; that people have tremendous capacity for self-reliance, but that's no excuse for uncaring government.' Rufus Friday who, as publisher of the Herald-Leader from 2011 to 2018, served on the editorial board and worked with Gallman, praised her even temperament and ability to balance conflicting interests. 'She had this incredible ability to bring a sense of calm while still being completely in charge of so many different opinions on the board, especially mine,' he said. Gallman 'was always looking for a way to be a storyteller,' wrote Mae Israel, her journalism classmate at North Carolina and lifelong friend. 'From our days as young journalists, Vanessa was persistent and savvy,' Israel wrote and recalled a particular incident. 'She pitched a story to Southern Exposure magazine about a 1979 Ku Klux Klan march on the same Selma-Montgomery, Alabama, route as the famed 1965 civil rights march led by Martin Luther King Jr.,' because the paper where she was working at the time didn't want to send a reporter. 'But Vanessa found a way to be a witness to this event and then write about it. That's how she approached her life.' Israel described Gallman as 'a loyal friend who really listened and then offered insightful observations. No matter what was happening, she remained calm and clear-headed.' She was also a keen basketball fan, something Friday said, led to their one serious rift. 'Vanessa was a die-hard UNC Tar Heel alum, and I'm a proud NC State Wolfpack alum. We had plenty of fun going back and forth about whose school was better,' he said. Gallman was the first Black leader of the Herald-Leader's editorial pages and she became the first Black female president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, now known as the Association of Opinion Journalists. She was a member of Pulitzer Prize juries for column writing and editorial cartooning and chaired the 2015 jury for editorial writing. David Horsey, political columnist and cartoonist at the Seattle Times recalled serving with her. 'Our task was to sift through a great pile of hundreds of editorial cartoons and, in a short amount of time, all agree on the winner,' he wrote, 'In the midst of this frenetic task where we all had different ideas about what constituted a great cartoon, Vanessa was a calm, steady, savvy presence.' Throughout her career Gallman mentored hundreds of young, and some older, journalists, as an editor, teacher and co-worker. At the Herald-leader she promoted a program of community columnists to bring more voices and perspectives to the pages. One of them was Teri Carter, whose work has since appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, MSNBC and regularly in the Kentucky Lantern. 'Vanessa was my teacher,' Carter said. 'It is no exaggeration to say that she made me a columnist when I thought I was too old, at age 51, to start. And boy was she tough. She asked hard questions; she was rigorous about sourcing and fact-checking; and she made sure I knew I had to earn readers' time. I loved her — love her — for that.' They also became friends. 'She had an enormous heart, a pointed, wry sense of humor, and was an incredibly talented writer.' Carter said. She recalled that Gallman embraced the opportunities that awaited her when she retired in 2019, talking 'about how excited she was to become a student again, in a way, learning to craft her own stories.' In retirement Gallman wrote columns for the Kentucky Lantern, took a class in writing in children's literature and edited 'Who Am I' a book of short memoirs from graduates of the UNC-Charlotte Black Studies program. She was an active member throughout her adult life of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and, in recent years, a dedicated and insightful member of a book club composed of female journalists. She was a devoted daughter, mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughter, Erica Stinson (Maurice), grandchildren Kaylah (Eme), Kaleah (Alexis), Khaleed and Aisha in addition to siblings Cheryl, Candace and Jerry. She was preceded in death by her parents, Laura Petty and James Morehead and her sister Jean. There will be a memorial service at the Lyric Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The family requests donations to Doctors Without Borders or God's Pantry.
