To the UNT administration and student body, 

UNT's administration has decided to dissolve the International Studies Department into the Political Science Department, against the wishes of students and faculty alike. We are deeply upset and worried about the potential impact of this restructuring on our academic experience and the integrity and mission of our interdisciplinary program. We feel as if the administration entirely disregarded the interest of their student body. It should be known that the VAST majority of students do not want this to happen at all!

The International Studies curriculum is intentionally designed to foster a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of complex political, cultural, health, business, economics, and security studies, drawing upon a wide array of disciplines. The Political Science Department, with its primary focus on American politics and limited offering of internationally focused courses, will narrow the breadth and depth of our education. We are concerned about how the distinct interdisciplinary nature of International Studies can be fully and effectively maintained and nurtured within this structure. What will happen to our seminar topics? What will happen with student and faculty research? What will happen to our concentrations? These elements are integral to the unique identity and academic rigor of the International Studies program, and we foresee the program’s alteration or diminishment if dissolved into the department. 

While we acknowledge the challenges the Political Science Department may be facing, we have observed the recent resignation of professors and declining enrollment. At the same time, we notice growing student interest in our department, reflecting the increasing global interconnectedness of our world. We believe these trends underscores the relevance and importance of the program and its importance of its independence, particularly the vital importance of interdisciplinary perspectives in addressing complex global and local issues. 

The students of International Studies have cultivated a strong and distinctive academic identity centered on the exploration of global complexities through an interdisciplinary lens. We can recognize the value of political science as one component within International Studies. However, our program's strength lies in its ability to draw connections across a wide array of disciplines, including anthropology, culture, politics, economics, biology, history, philosophy, and business. We are concerned that the integration would lead to a loss of this unique identity and the dilution of our program's fundamental interdisciplinary values that are central to our academic pursuits. 

Our desire is to ensure the continued strength and vitality of the International Studies program, which we believe provides a crucial and increasingly relevant perspective in today's global landscape. We sincerely hope that the administration will consider their students concerns and engage to explore alternative solutions that would preserve the unique identity and interdisciplinary richness of International Studies. 

With respectful confusion and sadness, 

-The International Studies STUDENT BODY