The Asian American Studies program at Ohio State lacks the professors, courses and departmental attention other areas of study have maintained for years.

While students of all races remain interested in AAS, it is not an actual department at OSU and can only be taken as a minor within comparative studies.

The program is a collection of faculty from various departments who are interested in teaching about the experiences of Asian Americans, said Roland Sintos Coloma, a graduate student in educational policy and leadership.

Coloma, an immigrant from the Philippines, came to OSU in 2000 and noticed the problem immediately. OSU has only two tenure-track faculty members who have ample training in AAS, Coloma said.

“In the past couple of years, we’ve lost eight faculty members with expertise in Asian American studies, and there has been no plan of action from the provost, presidential or even departmental level,” Coloma said.

Courses concentrated in AAS are also running low. Only nine courses that explore the culture, contributions and histories of Asian and Pacific Americans have been offered during the 2003-04 school year.

“It’s a shame because not just people who are Asian are interested,” said Judy Wu, assistant professor of history.

Answers to why this problem continues remain perplexing. Since AAS doesn’t have its own department, it’s up to others to implement courses of an Asian American influence.

“The question is one of resources,” said David Horn, chair of the College of Humanities. Some departments don’t have the resources to accommodate AAS courses. In some cases intellectual differences can explain the discrepancy of AAS focused courses among the different departments, Horn said.

Despite the vagueness of the issue, the creation of the Federation of Arts and Sciences should provide some optimism. The federation, which was implemented in July, will make it easier for colleges to interact more, Horn said.

“AAS will benefit (from the federation) by having more opportunities to collaborate,” Horn said. “Involvement with the federation will result in the hiring of more AAS faculty, and that’s an important goal.”

Since the Asian American experience and culture is unique to others, the encouragement of additional courses is important in the development in AAS. A wider variety of courses that touch on issues relevant to Asian Americans is needed, said Sharon Chun-Wetterau, coordinator of AAS.

The program aims to educate students on issues like immigration, social work and mental health within the Asian American community, Chun-Wetterau said.

A need to add courses that highlight the lives of different members of the Asian American community exists as well, Wu said.

“A lot of students are interested in their own identities,” she said.

Potential courses may include curriculum focused on Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese Americans.

“You can’t understand the experiences of Asian Americans and ways they differ from other cultures in the U.S. unless you draw on a wide variety of disciplines and historical examples,” Horn said.

Despite recent efforts, many continue to question OSU’s involvement in expanding AAS. A letter to the editor, which detailed all concerns, was printed in The Lantern Jan. 5. There has been no public response from the president or provost regarding the letter, Coloma said.

Issues of financial backing and job security also concern those interested in AAS.

Senior scholars are needed to lead the program, Coloma said. Because professors have been denied tenure and with no job security, it’s difficult for AAS to push for the issue, Coloma said.

As OSU strives to become more diverse, the professors and courses must continue to do so as well.

“It’s hard for OSU to say it’s dedicated to diversity without fully addressing the spectrum of multiculturalism,” Coloma said.