At Taipei American School (TAS), a debate over course offerings has once again surfaced regarding the fate of AP European History.

Despite student concerns that the course had been “cut” for the past two years, Upper School Principal Ms. Read clarified that AP European History was never formally eliminated. Instead, it was left out of the course catalog due to concerns about low enrollment and an assumption that there was not enough student demand. “The criteria we use for running courses is that there needs to be at least 10 interested students,” Ms. Read explained.

Last year, however, students came forward asking for AP European History, attempting to persuade the school to run the course. They successfully lobbied Dean of Student Life, Dr. Brandon Maguire, to teach the course, arguing that its removal overlooked genuine student interest. Their efforts paid off, and AP European History briefly returned.

However, uncertainty returned when Dr. Maguire announced his departure for next year, raising concerns among students that the course might once again disappear. Frustration quickly spread among students who felt they were losing an important opportunity to further explore history in their senior year.

In response, a new wave of advocacy emerged. A student group led by junior Karl C. (‘27), along with several others hoping to take AP European History, decided to take action. They emailed Upper School administration, asked current teachers whether they would be interested in teaching the class, and worked to gather enough student support to meet the enrollment threshold.

When asked why they pushed so hard for the course, the group emphasized the importance of AP Euro. “We just felt that it was really unfortunate, especially considering that the ideas of European history is one of the most important aspects of world history,” Karl explained.

After reviewing the students’ appeal, administrators ultimately decided to bring back AP European History as an elective course next year. Ms. Read emphasized that student advocacy played a major role in the decision. “Student choice is important to us. If you want to learn something and especially want to learn it badly enough that you will take the time to advocate for it, then of course we will run it.” She also mentioned that “because it (AP Euro) wasn’t in last year’s catalog, it was missed by oversight and left out”.

The school has also taken steps to ensure AP European History remains in future course catalogs. Ms. Read noted that TAS already has a formal process for sophomores and juniors to propose new courses: students must complete a form, find a teacher willing to teach the course, and submit everything by October 15 of the year before the course would run.

The reinstatement of AP European History reveals the importance of student influence within the school’s academic decision-making process, as it shows how a determined group can shape their learning futures.