The Office of Lynn Perry Wooten sent an email on September 29 to the student body announcing changes to many undergraduate academic programs, including that the Art and Art Administration majors are being sunsetted and turned into minor programs.
Liz Addesso, Vice-President of the Art and Music Liaison and Art Administration major, wasn’t shocked by the news. “A program getting cut should be like a huge surprise, but it doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s art. We’re always the first on the chopping block, we’re never funded.”
According to President Wooten, these changes were voted on by the Board of Directors by looking at the department and student data. Some students feel that this method wasn’t enough to capture the importance of the arts program to students.
Hazel Desio, a Psychology major who takes art classes, explains: “[they] didn’t feel like [Simmons] cared about [them] and [their] friends who are in the arts, and the people who have fought to create a community… at the school. And it felt like a little bit of a slap in the face.”
Tyler McSheffrey, President of the Art and Music Liaison and an Art major, has worked hard to foster a community of students through the liaison group. “I’m glad that I found this community… The art community at Simmons is a small group, but it is a strong group and some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Helen Popinchalk, Director of the Trustman Art Gallery and Professor, is a Simmons alum who double-majored in Art and Art Administration. “[Being an alum] makes [the decision to cut the majors] hurt on many different levels,” she explains, “I feel sad that some students won’t have that opportunity [to major in arts programs].”
That being said, Popinchalk chooses to focus on the positives. “The best part of my job is working with the students, [that is] the thing that I care the most about… I just want to like, make sure that we do right by our students. You know, we’re teaching the content that we love, and that we’re supporting our students the best way we can.”
