Peace Studies winds down

The Peace Studies department at CSB+SJU has experienced a shift in the past few years. The department was ordered to being closure in 2022 as part of the Academic Prioritization Plan (APP). As a result, the department has decreased class offerings and now consists of a singular professor. The APP eliminated the major as enrollment outpaced staff reductions and general interest in the area of study as a chosen major/minor declined.

Peace Studies was initially proposed in the spring of 1988 as a minor at St. John’s. This led to the creation of a major and minor being offered at both colleges, integrated into both curriculums. Peace Studies aligns with the Benedictine values of justice and peace, bringing together monastic beliefs and education.

Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores the human condition and identifies conflict and how resolutions can be found in a non-violent manner.

This area of study pulls from political, historical, psychological and sociological perspectives, contributing to a greater understanding of why people use violence. Myths surrounding peace and violence are debunked due to the studies about human nature being conducted in the classroom. Students become knowledgeable on the tools needed for peacebuilding and how to enact lasting change.

CSB senior Madeleine Gaunt, a Peace Studies major, has been positively influenced by this area of study. Upon hearing about Peace
Studies, she knew it would be her major due to her interest in serving in a justice centered field. Gaunt shared how the interdisciplinary nature of this major allowed her to explore multiple fields while grounding her knowledge in human rights and people-centered frameworks.

“The Peace Studies department truly embodies the liberal arts education, challenging students to think critically, make connections, and work collaboratively towards justice and peace,” Gaunt said.

Professor Kelly Kraemer is the remaining Peace Studies Professor, offering courses relating to social movements and peace theory.

Since 2001, Kraemer has taught Peace Studies to a variety of majors and minors. Although interest in this major has declined, Kraemer mentioned that the importance of Peace Studies remains relevant in our modern world.

“Peace Studies is where you can study the importance of not only keeping your eyes on the price, who’s being harmed, but how do we get to the root of the problem and come up with a solution that will give everybody what they need?” Kraemer said.

This area of study allows students to learn how to handle conflict rather than running away from it or using violence.

When it comes to her students, Kraemer admires the differing perspectives they bring to the classroom. Teaching in an interdisciplinary field brought together different ideas that connected to several majors, allowing discussions to be engaging.

“I loved having students who could bring their own background in and who were curious about the kinds of problems we study, about conflict resolution, wars, global development, race and gender,” Kraemer said.

By talking to one another, students could begin to identify and solve problems with peace-forward thinking, discovering resolutions that would enact good change.

Kraemer spoke upon the changes within the department and what the future holds. At this point in time, there are two majors remaining, both seniors. With there being no department chair, Kraemer is the only faculty member left. Kraemer spoke about how the Peace Studies department might go away completely as no students will be left in the major after this spring.

“It’s a shame that peace studies, as a department and field of study really doesn’t exist anymore because I think it fits so well with our mission and history,” Kraemer said.

Now that Kraemer is teaching mostly in the integrations curriculum, she plans to continue to implement Peace Studies into those courses.