Hamline is trying to sunset the MFA program and defund Water~Stone Review

Bad things are happening at Hamline University. Interim President Kathleen Murray and Interim Provost Andy Rundquist have recommended to the Board of Trustees that the MFA program be sunset and Water~Stone Review be defunded. They claim declining enrollment is the reason to sunset the program. However, the program has seen in increase enrollment over the past year and a half, and benchmarks set by the provost have been met or exceeded. The University has also cut the program’s marketing budget and refused to replace retiring faculty. One might think they are setting the program up to fail.

We can only speculate what the interim leadership’s motivations are, but it seems to follow the unfortunate trend of college administrators treating their universities like for-profit businesses and not institutions of higher learning. Though we cannot rule out that perchance long ago, on one dark and stormy night, when the rain fell in torrents—except, obviously, when a violent gust of wind swept up the streets, as it does—a beautiful poet read her verse in a dimly lit café. She might have stolen the heart of a young man, but her heart belonged to another. Heartache, like its companion, heartbreak, can linger through the years. And maybe that young man grew to be an interim provost. And perhaps during torrential rains, he can still hear the heavens cry, “Jennifer.” One may presume that if he destroys the MFA, destroys Water~Stone Review, then the heavens will stop screaming. But, it’s more likely about money.

The Creative Writing Programs, which house both the MFA program and Water~Stone Review, are a valuable part of the literary community in the Twin Cities. The MFA is the oldest active program of its kind in the state of Minnesota. And Water~Stone is award-winning, far-reaching, and exceptional. Our goal, both as alumni of the MFA program and as sexy werewolves who sometimes brood, is to evangelize about the importance of saving the MFA program, saving Water~Stone Review, saving the Oxford comma, and saving the arts in general. We believe a world without art is not worth living in. Unless, of course, you are a salmon. If you’re a salmon, you probably don’t care about art. You just want to swim down the river, and then back up the river to spawn and die. And, you know what, Salmon? We don’t care if you get eaten by a bear. In fact, we’re kind of pulling for the bear, because bears care about art.

Please visit our RESOURCES page for links to a petition you can sign, email address of people you can pester, and other ways you can help.

Who we are

We believe that if you have something to say, you should sign your name to it. We are:

• Andrew Fay
• Sarah Howard
• Sarah McNamara
• Sarah Van Libby
• Paul Thelen
• Andrew Cleary