UMD Asian American studies program holds town hall about creating major

Members of the University of Maryland Asian American Studies program, the Asian American Student Union, and other members of the campus community are working to expand the current major of Asian American studies to a major, an effort that has been in the works for decades.

The department and student union hosted a town hall meeting on Wednesday to discuss next steps in creating a major based on feedback from a student survey. Janelle Wong, director of the Asian American studies program, said the relationship between the program and AASU is something unique to this university that she hadn’t seen before.

“This curriculum, this major, and the entire Asian American studies program is really the result of student activism,” Wong said.

At the meeting, Wong discussed the results of a survey taken by AAST minors and students enrolled in Asian American studies classes. Of the 144 respondents, 36 percent said they would consider enrolling in an AAST major, which Wong said he views as a good foundation for building a major. The survey also found that most students would take the major in addition to another major.

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Students who responded to the survey asked how they would apply a potential Asian American studies major to their professional lives, which the department sees as an opportunity to host alumni panels and professional development workshops, Wong said.

Other student demands included offering more courses…