A recent external review has found a “crisis of confidence” in Iowa State’s African American Studies Program.

The review committee found “an enormous amount of goodwill toward African American Studies among faculty, students and administration.” But the review said the majority of faculty and students were disillusioned with the administration’s role and “lack of commitment” to the development of AASP.

“Students were perhaps most bitter, observing that the administration has repeatedly expressed a commitment to AASP, but seldom followed through with substantive [to say nothing of bold] actions,” the review said.

One of the biggest concerns expressed in the review was a need for a director and more faculty members with academic commitments to the program.

Derrick Rollins, chair of the African American Studies Program Committee, does not have an appointment to the program. Rollins is a professor of statistics and chemical engineering who is only serving in AASP because he “wants to see the program survive,” he said.

Rollins said the program currently has no appointed professors. Classes taught within the program are co-listed with other programs.

“To have a viable program we need professors with appointments,” Rollins said. “For this program to grow as it needs to grow, we need people recruited to the program.

“The program needs strong leadership, someone to come in that has a strong national and international reputation in African American studies and strong administrative skills to come in and run the program, creating and defining the support needed to make the program alive and well,” Rollins said.

Elizabeth Hoffman, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Science, said in the two years she has been here, AASP has lost faculty. But she said she is “committed to bringing the program back to where it was.”

Hoffman said the review was “quite fair.” And she said the college will take it seriously, though she was “not sure whether we will be able to respond to it fully.”

Hoffman added that she wasn’t surprised by the review. “Every review asks for more faculty and more operating programs,” she said.

The review will be addressed to Liberal Arts and Science officials and the Provost’s Office, Hoffman said.

Muhammad Abdullah, minority liaison coordinator and a member of the African American Studies Steering Committee, said he was optimistic about the future of the program. Abdullah said the university’s response to the review would be the “litmus test” of its commitment to the program.

The committee will meet to discuss its response to the review and to make its own suggestions.

Abdullah said there is a place on the committee for students who would like to participate. He said students interested in serving on the committee should contact either him or Derrick Rollins.