Difficult Campus Heritage - 22nd Annual Historic Preservation Symposium at Texas A&M University, February 13, 2021: Program and Abstracts

Abstract

"Difficult Campus Heritage," the 22nd Annual Historic Preservation Symposium at Texas A&M University, looked at a sample of the different ways colleges and universities around the world are currently addressing the preservation and conservation of heritage and heritage assets (for example: buildings, statues, memorial sites, art, museums, archival collections) that relate to topics such as gender, race, religion, and politics. These include aspects of history, heritage, values, tradition, and identity that have emerged, especially over the last few years, as very polarizing, contentious, offensive, controversial, and often difficult to discuss. What perspectives should university administrators, planners, curators, preservationists and conservators keep in mind as they formulate their own policies and conservation strategies for campus heritage? And what do our students (future administrators, planners, curators, preservationists, and conservators) need to be aware of as they formulate their own informed responses about these issues? The symposium offered an outstanding slate of nationally and internationally known scholars discussing case studies from Texas, the United States, Barbados, and South Africa.