For some professors, the Faculty Restructuring Plan produced a sigh of relief. But others are still catching their breaths. Faculty response to the restructuring plan has ranged from fear and anger to hopefulness and resoluteness, and all the emotions in-between.
“We were shocked to find out that we’ve been cut to an all time low,” said Classics Professor and Department Chair Leslie Day. “They say we went back to two but we’ve always had 3 people. Even back in 1978 there were three people teaching classics, which makes a big difference. We are dismayed about the department because [the plan] means that we have been cut by 30%, which means that when we’re offering three majors we can’t do it. Something’s got to give.”
Chemistry Professor and Division Chair Scott Feller was part of the team that drew up the plan, and he said the decisions weighed heavily on his mind. His own division was reduced by two positions, and he anticipates a combination of juggling more survey classes, possibly reducing some elective classes for majors, and developing more interdisciplinary learning opportunities.
“I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about this because, of course, we’re a small community and every loss of a position is going to be felt acutely by the faculty in that department and by the students who take those courses,” he said. “And, in addition to being colleagues, we’re often friends. But in the end you have to try to concentrate on what’s the best distribution for our students. And try to separate the personal from the needs of the College.”
Music Professor Larry Bennett said he understands why the decisions were made but feels the impact on the Music Department will be profound because of the quality of the professor it’s losing. He asked his division chair, Rhetoric Professor David Timmerman, to speak to Dean of the College Gary Phillips and to President Patrick White to see if they would reconsider the cuts. He has also spoken with President White personally.
“[White] was very sympathetic,” Bennett said. “I understand…that we have to think of the wider good no matter what because this is a college. But the arts are always the first to go. You see it in the public schools all the time. It’s just unfortunate. I’m extremely impressed with and very fond of Vanessa Rogers. She’s a young person who already has an international reputation.”
Bennett said the music department will have to figure out how it will cover its music history component after he leaves next year. “I think there’s a plan afoot,” he said, “and I think it will work, but it won’t be the same.”
Art Professor and Department Chair Scott Calisch agreed that the faculty cuts would substantially change the future of the Arts at Wabash and may even effect college recruitment. He also feels that decisions will negatively impact the quality of an education in the Arts at Wabash.
“Specifically for the Art Department, maintaining an art major is unlikely. The Art Department is still in shock trying to process through the anger, hurt, and perceived inequities of the administration's actions. There may be good faculty who choose to leave Wabash. There may be positions filled with adjunct professors. The college once believed that to achieve academic excellence no department should exist with less than three faculty members.
Now as a result of this faculty realignment we will have three departments in Division II with only two faculty. This move by the administration has made Wabash more like the schools we think we are better than. If there is any kind of hopeful spin here, it is that these damaging changes will not go into effect until Fall of 2011 and there is the potential for intervening events and conditions that will modify the administration's actions.”
Modern Languages Chair and Spanish Professor Dan Rogers said he was saddened by the decision not to renew German Professor Sarah Painitz’s position. But he is confident his department will adapt.
“Modern languages is exploring ways to handle the crisis so that it has the least affect on students as it can,” Rogers said. “We can be upset, and try to figure out what to do or not. I think we’re trying to figure out what to do. And I have a lot of confidence that we’ll come out of this.”
History Professor and Department Chair Stephen Morillo hates to see colleagues go as well, but nothing in the plan surprised him. He sees the restructuring as an opportunity for change.
“History is in the relatively fortunate position for departments that our field is fairly flexible about what we cover,” he said. “I think it’s an opportunity to rethink our curriculum and the focus of what we do, make opportunities for more interdisciplinary work and think about departmental and divisional boundaries less compartmentally and more sort of as channels of communication across the college. Professor Dan Rogers and I have already talked about proposing a Hispanic studies major.
“Money people are not going to be interested in investing in the French army in 1916, digging into the trenches, and trying to hold out. We’ve got to have a plan. We’ve got to have a proactive conception of where we’re headed that will appeal to donors. This won’t be the last cut.”
