In the wake of an outcry from Howard students and alumni upset by The Hilltop’s report that the renowned Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (MSRC) might be forced to shut down, the University’s Chief Academic Office issued a statement vowing the center will not be closed.
“There is no intention to close the center,” said Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Alvin Thornton, Ph.D., in an e-mail to The Hilltop on Sunday. “It is a treasured and valued part of Howard and will continue."
With Dr. Thomas Battle’s recent retirement as director of the center, Howard is in the process of searching for a replacement director. A national search will be conducted to identify an appropriate individual to lead the center and develop financial and other support for the center.
The university is also in the process of reviewing the organization, structure and staffing of the research center as part of a larger university-wide academic and support program review.”
Thornton’s statement was intended to reassure students and alumni who reacted to The Hilltop story published last Friday in which Battle, who was called out of retirement to head MSRC temporarily after serving as its director for more than two decades, warned financial and structural setbacks posed a threat to the 95-year-old center’s continued existence.
The story spread quickly after it was picked up by internet sites such as TheRoot.com. The Hilltop story quoted Battle as saying that the center, formerly had a staff of 50 or more people now having only 12 staff members remaining in the library division. Battle said critical positions that are vacant are director, chief librarian, chief administrator and prints and photography librarian.
“This should be a greater outcry,” Battle said. “This is the premier place to research black history and culture.”
Generations of Howard students did research at the MSRC and developed close personal relationships with staff members who worked there for many years.
One of them, Donna Marcia Wells, who served as the center’s prints and photography librarian from 1993 until this past June, died on Nov. 2. A viewing will be held in the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. today.
The news on the state of MSRC ignited a considerable amount of controversy among the Howard community.
“I was angry when I first heard of Moorland-Spingarn’s potential closure, that was my first reaction,” said Victoria Kirby, graduate student. “This is our treasure, Howard University’s treasure.”
Although Thornton said there were no plans to close down the research center, students think differently.
“It’s like one thing goes, then another,” said Andrew Simms, junior architecture major. “If staff and faculty retire early, the university has to find a faster way to replace them. Howard really needs to step it up and hire staff for various areas of the University, including Moorland-Spingarn because this type of information is important to us students.”
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documents/financial_fy_2009.pdf) to even think about closing or significantly modifying the overall operations of the Moorland Spingarn Research Center.