On September 1, the Program of African Studies (PAS) at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, is slated to transition from its home in the Office for Research into the Office of the Provost, according to a report from The Daily Northwestern. As part of the transition, the university has eliminated PAS’s two staff positions held by associate director Meagan Keefe and business administrator Kelly Coffey.
Founded nearly 80 years ago, PAS supports interdisciplinary studies related to the continent of Africa and Swahili language courses. The program is not a full academic department; instead, it hosts guest lecturers, events, and seminar courses; facilitates research; and offers an adjunct major and minor in African studies.
As one of Northwestern’s University Research Institutes and Centers, PAS is required to seek grant funding from the government and private foundations for its programming. However, according to the The Daily Northwestern, there has been a significant decline in PAS’s grant applications, resulting in the program’s forthcoming transition.
“Important parts of PAS are focused on education. Such activities are not under the purview of OR but are directly under the purview of the Provost,” wrote Northwestern University Provost Erik Luijten in a statement to The Daily Northwestern. “The university wishes to ensure that PAS thrives and will work directly with PAS leadership to develop new activities. The Office of the Provost is more suited for such engagement than OR.”
While Northwestern administrators decide the program’s future, William Reno, professor and chair of political science, will serve as interim director of PAS. The university is currently discussing whether to keep PAS under the Office of the Provost, make it a department in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, or merge it into another of Northwestern’s research centers.
