On Dec. 1, Montclair State University students held a funeral outside of Dickson Hall, laying the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) to rest.
Students adopted an unorthodox method of protest when airing out their grievances against Montclair State’s CHSS restructuring plan. To make a statement, protestors wore black clothing, carried bouquets and delivered powerful eulogies next to a homemade tombstone.
The protest, organized by Montclair State student Miranda Kawiecki, gained traction after a petition expressed disagreement with the school’s initiative to restructure the College of Humanities.
Currently sitting at over 3,300 signatures, the petition cited University of Tulsa students as an inspiration for the protest and encouraged students to attend on the principle that “the degree you save may be your own.”
Protesters line up outside of Cole Hall with signs, chanting their disapproval of the university's CHSS restructuring plan. David Bien-Aime | The Montclarion
Students and alumni gathered, holding signs and chanting from within a perimeter lined by traffic cones and caution tape, in cooperation with Montclair State’s protest policies.
Empress Davis, a junior communication and media studies major, considers the restructuring unfair on the grounds that it only concerns majors within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“I feel it’s unfair,” Davis said. “Other majors are being unchanged, so why target the humanities? The school should talk to their students, see what they want to do. Most students are against this.”
Senior English major and creator of the petition, Jazmin Perez, hopes the protest sends a message to administration.
“I want administration to know they can’t ignore us and that we’re standing our ground,” Perez said. “Restructuring is incredibly unpopular amongst the general public. Students, faculty — no one’s asked for this. This is one of many things [President] Koppell has done that is disagreeable.”
Jazmin Perez, senior English major and creator of the petition, speaking at the protest. David Bien-Aime | The Montclarion
The restructuring garnered significant campus attention, but also from several news outlets, including coverage from the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
However, President Koppell remains adamant that restructuring concerns are unfounded.
President Koppell sent out an emailed titled “A Strong Future for CHSS” to the student body just hours before the protest, in an effort to address the uncertainty surrounding the university’s restructuring plan.
This message, which faculty printed out and handed to passersby during the protest, claims that no humanities major is at risk of elimination.
“The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is not closing,” Koppell said in the email. No majors in the College are being eliminated or renamed, for current or future students.”
Additionally, Koppell stated that the restructuring serves to overall improve the university.
“…there are efficiencies to be gained and that’s not a bad thing because it helps to keep tuition affordable,” Koppell said in the email. “Our primary motivation is to empower faculty to pursue innovative approaches and to support our students to achieve their goals.”
Despite Koppell’s message, many students are still anxious regarding the future of the humanities department.
Students staged a mock funeral for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, citing the university's restructuring plan as the beginning of the end for the beloved programs. David Bien-Aime | The Montclarion
Garret Gerow, a senior anthropology major, believes that the vagueness surrounding the issue is still cause for concern.
“Give me a clear-cut answer about why this is happening,” Gerow said. “No one wants it.”
Towards the end of the protest, students marched to Susan A. Cole Hall, determined to meet with President Koppell. According to Kieth Barrack, Koppell’s chief of staff, he was unavailable in a meeting at the time.
Despite conflicting perceptions of the restructuring initiative on campus, students and faculty alike believe the humanities department is an integral component to their positive experiences at Montclair State.
Patrick O’Dowd, an alumni graduate from the English department in 2017, explained how his life has been greatly impacted by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
“I’m close with many supportive professors on campus,” O’Dowd said. “The department was incredibly supportive during difficult times in my life and helped me become a writer. When they found out my debut novel was being published, they celebrated me. My whole life is shaped by this department.”
While the humanities departments doesn’t appear to be in danger of elimination as previously thought, concerns still linger around the nature of the restructuring in general and what consolidation means for the future of the departments.
Despite this, students at the protest felt confident in their efforts to communicate their disagreements to administration.
