OU confirmed the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies and the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies have been the subject of review.
Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright confirmed the reviews in an email statement to the Daily Friday morning following inquiries about a report from The Black Wall Street Times that the university would be moving to close the African and African American Studies Department.
“The University of Oklahoma is not closing the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies or the Schusterman Center’s Judaic and Israel Studies or their programs," Wright wrote in the statement.
Wright wrote in a statement that both departments are under review through a routine evaluation.
“Review of both degree programs was triggered by a routine, multi-step evaluation of the university’s 300+ programs conducted under State Regents provisions,” Wright wrote.
The Daily reached out to OU Marketing and Communications for clarification on if the reviews were ongoing or if the evaluation was complete. It declined to offer clarification on that point.
Over the past decade, the African and African American Studies Department and the Center for Judaic and Israel Studies have experienced low enrollment.
In the 2015-16 academic year, nine bachelor’s degrees were awarded to students enrolled in the African and African American Studies Department and that number fell to two in the 2020-21 academic year, according to OU’s Institutional Research and Reporting office. The department awarded three bachelor’s degrees in the 2024-25 academic year.
OU’s Institutional Research and Reporting office reported one student was enrolled as a Judaic Studies major in fall 2024. One student is reportedly enrolled this fall. Over the past nine years, the number peaked at three in 2020.
Rhona Seidelman, director of the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies, denied that OU was considering closing the center in an email sent to the Schusterman center community Monday morning.
"As you likely know, our Center is thriving and vibrant. We are a valued and admired part of DFCAS and OU. It’s unfortunate that the local news would cause concern in our community by giving a platform to this baseless gossip," Seidelman wrote.
Greg Graham, chair of the African and African American Studies Department, wrote in a statement to the Daily that the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies remains committed to its mission education students.
"We are proud to continue the legacy of Clara Luper and honor her positive impact on education and civic engagement," Graham wrote. "...For over forty years, we have positively impacted students, alumni, and the wider region, and we plan to continue our educational mission."
Michael Markham, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, did not immediately respond to the Daily’s request for comment.
These reviews are not the first to occur at the Dodge Family College of Arts and Science, a college that contains 33% of the OU student population.
In November, the OU Provost’s Office conducted a review of the foreign language requirements for the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.
At the time, Randall Hewes, then-interim dean of the Dodge Family College of Arts and Science, confirmed the language requirement within the college was under review. The Dodge Family College of Arts and Science and the David L. Boren College of International Studies are the only colleges left at OU that require three semesters of a language.
Hewes said the evaluation process, which included a review of the Association of American Universities data, remains ongoing and revisions will be recommended.
Wright told the Daily following the April Board of Regents meeting that the evaluation had been completed and he would soon look at the recommendation. As of October, six months after the completion of the review, there has not been an announcement of what action the college will take.
The Black Wall Street Times released a report Thursday night saying OU was considering closing the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies. The OU Daily reached out to 16 sources in the Norman area for confirmation. As of Friday, 11 have not responded.
OU Regent Rick Nagel answered, telling OU Daily in a phone call Thursday evening that the department would not close. He said closing the program would require consideration from the OU Board of Regents, which would not be approved.
“People don't cancel programs unless it comes before the (Board of Regents). That has not come before the board,” Nagel said. “I can never speak for the whole board, but that would be a hard thing to get through. … That's not something we're (going to) do.”
Avery Dunlap, OU Student Government Association president, wrote in a message to the Daily Friday that decisions on the African and African American Studies department have not been a publicized conversation. Dunlap encouraged students struggling to reach out to OU’s mental health resources.
“I understand students will feel a variety of emotions. Please reach out to our office, to student organizations you identify with, and the mental health resources OU has to support yourself and others,” Dunlap wrote. “This is a time we need to support one another and build the support that the Clara Luper Department offered into our student body.”
Abby Young contributed to this story.
Sophie Hemker, Kylie Caldwell and Gretchen Schultz copy edited this story.
