Tuesday, April 8, 2008

A3C 101

A Brief History on our path to A3C:

2003 - Cornell Administration charges a task force to confront issues confronting the Asian and Asian-American student community: http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan03/Asian.task.force.jkp.html

2004 - The Asian and Asian-American Campus Climate Task Force Report (3ATF) is released by the Cornell Administration. Salient findings include: over-representation of suicides from students of Asian descent, high dissatisfaction of Cornell experience compared to other ethnic groups, feelings of belonging to Cornell community commonly absent. Two of the main recommendations addressed by this task force are:
1. Hiring of a paid staff position to serve the Asian/Asian-American student community
2. Implementation of an Asian/Asian American center to unify the AAA population

2005 - Members of Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA) strive for an Asian American program house on campus. N.B.: There is a current moratorium on constructing new program houses at Cornell University (i.e. no new ones are allowed)

Spring 2007 - a group of passionate student leaders meet with the Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs, Susan Murphy, to lobby for an Asst. Dean for AAA students

September 2007 - Vice President Murphy announces the creation of an Asst. Dean for AAA students

November 2007 - Resolution 8 is passed with an overwhelming majority in the Student Assembly. It calls for the creation of an AAA community center

Spring 2008 - A3C is formed and members start meeting to lobby for the center

February 2008 - At the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU 2008) Conference, held at Cornell this year, Dean of Students Kent Hubbel and President David Skorton make offensive remarks to the 1500+ attendees. The president's remarks, such as his "love affair with Asia" are posted on numerous blogs, including www.angryasianman.com, and lead many to start campaigns against the Cornell president, including groups from University of Pennsylvania.

March 2008 - The ECAASU co-directors and other student leaders meet with President Skorton and Vice President Murphy about ECAASU 2008 and Resolution 8. Skorton verbally agrees to a space designated for AAA students on campus. Vice President Murphy starts assembling a committee to figure out the details of the center.

March 31, 2008 - An AAA Community Forum was held and Skorton publically announces his support for an AAA center and announces the committee.

Yea, that wasn't brief, actually. Sorry, thanks for reading!

-Andrew Lee

1 comment:

Thu said...

Here's a brief run-down of Cornell's Asian American Studies Program:

1987 - The AASP at Cornell is formally constituted as a program. The first director is Lee C. Lee (Human Ecology)

1990 - Our first tenured faculty is hired (Gary Okihiro, joint
appointment with History and Asian American Studies)

1992 - Second faculty is hired as assistant professor (Shelley Wong,
joint appt. w/ English & AAS). Okihiro appointed as director.

1994 - AASP begins offering a concentration in the field.

1995 - Third faculty is hired as assistant professor (Viranjini
Munasinghe, joint appt. w/ Anthropology & AAS)

1999 - Okihiro departs for Columbia University. Wong is appointed as
AAS director.

2002 - Fourth faculty is hired as assistant professor (Derek Chang,
joint appt. w/ History & AAS)

2004 - Fifth faculty is hired as assistant professor (Thuy Tu, joint
appt. w/ Art History & AAS)

2007 - Sixth faculty is hired as assistant professor (Clement Lai,
joint appt. w/ City and Regional Planning & AAS)

There are have 4.5 faculty lines and 1.5 staff lines.