THE LEADER STAFF
UPDATE 12/8/23, 11:52 a.m.:
- Bruce Simon, Chairperson of the University Senate, has recently sent out a message to senators going into detail of the recent events regarding the “Roadmap to Financial Stability”
- In addition to information, linked is another petition made by Simon calling for Governor Hochul to fund SUNY Fredonia.
UPDATE 12/7/23, 11:32 p.m.:
- The Leader has confirmed that a significant miscommunication was present on Kolison’s slides that were shown during the “special campus meeting” yesterday. The slides stated that “BSED Early Childhood” was among the programs facing being cut. However, on the President’s website, it clarifies that “BSED Early Childhood Education (birth-2) is potentially being cut, NOT the entirety of BSED Early Childhood Education.
UPDATE 12/6/23, 9:21 p.m.:
- A protest is confirmed to be occurring on Thursday, Dec. 7 at noon in front of Fenton Hall on campus.
- Students within TADA have been sent an email encouraging them to attend the protest.
UPDATE 12/6/23, 5:51 p.m.:
- The Leader has received confirmation from a professor within the English Department that English Adolescent is not being removed. The only adolescent education programs that are confirmed on the list are Adolescent French Education, Adolescent Spanish Education and Middle School Math Education.
- President Kolison’s slides included “BSED Early Childhood Education” as well as the above adolescent education programs, which is seeming to cause confusion among students.
SUNY Fredonia President Stephen Kolison hosted a “special campus meeting” today, Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 2:30 p.m.
This meeting was geared towards faculty and staff, as an email was not shared out to students. However, many students showed up in support and in interest as to what was happening to the campus.
In addition, many other members of the campus community joined the meeting livestream, which showed a live broadcast of both Kolison and his slides.
This livestream was streamed through the Fredonia School of Music YouTube channel.
It has since been privated on YouTube. Upon clicking on a link to the video, users get a pop up that says: Video unavailable. This video is private.
However, The Leader has been able to secure a recording of the meeting in case of this event.
Here is a link to the meeting broadcast:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WphSmshirRL8jWnId3SW_07ZU3w4Cu7R/view?usp=drivesdk
University Police were present at the meeting.
Channel 7 News was also present at the meeting.
At the meeting, Kolison presented his speech along with a slides presentation including information and data regarding his speech.
The presentation was titled “Ensuring a Brighter Future for SUNY Fredonia.”
Throughout his speech, Kolison gave information on things such as enrollment numbers.
This slide included data from 2014-2023. No sources were provided as to where the data came from.
Enrollment has dropped from 5,214 students in 2014 to 3,236 students in 2023, according to the presentation. This includes both graduate and undergraduate students.
Kolison also cited his “True Blue Transformation,” the strategic plan for SUNY Fredonia for 2023-2028.
This plan’s mission statement, according to fredonia.edu, “reflects SUNY’s commitment to a cutting-edge higher education environment. The plan aligns with the vision offered by [SUNY] Chancellor King which also includes: Affordable Access, Student Success, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Research and Scholarship and Economic Development and Upward Mobility.”
Kolison then described three pillars needed to “ensure a brighter future for SUNY Fredonia.”
These pillars are: revenue generation, strategic reductions in expenditures and efficiency enhancement.
The first pillar, revenue generation, describes “growing sectors” at Fredonia. These included biotech and life science, renewable energies and electronics.
In addition, two new programs were announced: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
Kolison also claimed there were fundraising efforts being made, including making reference to a “bicentennial fund.”
The second pillar, strategic reductions in expenditures, stated previous steps that have been taken to reduce spending, including staff reductions, vacancies unfilled, strategic investment and reducing travel.
The university has also “identified struggling programs” by allegedly examining data-driven evidence and participating in dialogue with shared governance leadership.
Kolison then announced which programs are being recommended for discontinuation. These programs include:
- BA Visual Arts New Media: Art History
- BA French
- BA French Adolescence Education
- BS Industrial Management
- BS Mathematics: Middle Childhood Specialist (grades five through nine)
- BA Philosophy
- BA Sociology
- BA Spanish
- BA Spanish: Adolescence Education
- BFA Visual Arts New Media: Ceramics
- BFA Visual Arts New Media: Photography
- BFA Visual Arts New Media: Sculpture
- BSED Early Childhood Education
Kolison added that the students who are currently enrolled in these majors will still be able to complete and receive their degrees.
About an hour after the meeting, in an email sent out to students whose degrees would not be affected by these program cuts, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. David Starrett said, “There will be a freeze on admissions or registration of new students into those specific programs going forward.” This will lead to the dismissal of the professors of these programs.
Two different versions of emails were sent out.
One version was sent out by Dr. Starrett to students whose programs would not be affected.
This email reads:
Today, President Kolison shared a comprehensive blueprint aimed at securing the financial future of SUNY Fredonia, which includes proactive adjustments to our academic portfolio. I want to directly address concerns you may have regarding your academic journey.
After thorough consideration and careful analysis of data-driven evidence, the Provost’s Office has identified 13 programs for future discontinuation. While your program is not among those being considered for discontinuation, I understand that news of this nature may be concerning. We have assured all students in the impacted programs that they will have the opportunity to complete their degree and graduate from SUNY Fredonia. There will be a freeze on admissions or registration of new students into those specific programs going forward.
It is important to note that the adjustments being made are specific to a select number of programs. The overall landscape of our university remains vibrant and strong. The dedication to academic excellence extends across the entirety of SUNY Fredonia, and we are committed to providing you with a robust educational experience. It is also important to note the blueprint unveiled today also includes investing in new programs that are in-demand by prospective students and market trends.
At SUNY Fredonia, we are deeply committed to the success of every student and a bright future for our beloved university.
Good luck on your finals next week, and best wishes for a restful break.
Another version was sent out by Dr. Starrett to students whose programs may be affected.
This email reads:
Today, President Kolison shared a comprehensive blueprint aimed at securing the financial future of SUNY Fredonia. As part of this initiative, adjustments to our academic portfolio are being proactively considered. I understand that this news may be concerning, especially for those whose programs are under evaluation.
After careful consideration and utilizing data-driven evidence, the Provost’s Office has identified 13 programs, including your current major, that have been recommended for discontinuation in the future. I want to assure you unequivocally that any student currently enrolled in a program under consideration for discontinuation will have the opportunity to complete their degree and graduate from SUNY Fredonia.
At SUNY Fredonia, we are committed to your success, and we will ensure that you have the necessary coursework to complete your program, just as we do for every student on our campus. However, to align with the changes, we plan to freeze admissions or registration of new students into those programs going forward.
We recognize this announcement raises questions and concerns. Deans overseeing the affected programs will hold information sessions with students in affected programs on Zoom this Friday. During that session the deans will explain how the university will support students in completing their degrees and students can ask questions. Students will receive an email with the zoom link tomorrow. Also, during the upcoming break, the Provost’s Office, along with Academic Advising and program advisors, will work diligently to provide students with constant communication. This information will be shared before students return for the Spring 2024 semester.
Please rest assured that we are dedicated to supporting you throughout this transition and ensuring a quality academic experience. Your success remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding as we navigate these changes together.
If you have immediate concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to the Provost’s Office at provost@fredonia.edu .
Wishing you a restful break and looking forward to a successful continuation of your academic journey.
No mention of the name of the programs that would be removed was included in either of these emails to students.
According to Kolison’s data, 13 programs will be removed, and 15% of majors are being taken away. This, according to Kolison, represents 2.2% of the undergraduate student population.
Kolison added that “exact reductions are currently unknown.”
In addition, he explicitly states that SUNY Fredonia will “carefully follow all contractual and civil service rules.”
Many of these programs have smaller class sizes as it is expected for professors to work one-on-one with students.
In addition, many of the art classes being cut are required by each major that is left as well as Fredonia Foundations requirements.
Kolison then discussed academic program health, stating that reviews will continue on their regular schedule. The academic program health data that was collected last semester was not used to determine which programs would come under consideration to be cut.
Kolison also announced that SUNY Fredonia will not have a hiring freeze.
The college will be prioritizing hiring “those contributing to the health and safety of the campus community, student recruitment, retention and leadership, and faculty in areas of demonstrated high-need and high enrollment.”
Finally, Kolison discussed the third pillar: efficiency enhancement.
Here, Kolison discussed how the college will be “[enhancing] operational efficiencies and [improving] business processes.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, Kolison did not stay to answer questions from the audience.
Instead, he revealed that a form will be placed on the university’s website where anyone can ask questions, and they would be answered by a member of the administration. Since the form is online, the administration theoretically has the ability to pick and choose which questions will get shown to the public.
The Leader will update this article once the webpage link to ask questions has been released.
As students raised their voices upon hearing this, Kolison asked them to “calm down.”
In response to this, an audience member said out loud, “Why won’t you stay to answer questions now?” and received no response—Kolison promptly vacated the room.
At this point, members of Kolison’s cabinet and the College Council proceeded to clap, but the rest of the audience booed at the president.
Many students left the meeting in tears and with anger.
A Change.org petition was created by a SUNY Fredonia student in protest of how funding has been distributed from SUNY.
This petition was created as a result of the United University Professions’ (UUP) advocacy for increased funding for SUNY in this year’s state budget.
The budget for the next fiscal year, which was passed by the SUNY Board of Trustees on Dec. 5, includes $163 million in increased operating for SUNY schools, but UUP believes that the money was not distributed fairly amongst all 64 colleges and universities in the system.
UUP claims that the majority of the new funding went to the university centers: University at Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany and Stony Brook — the larger schools, which aren’t facing budget issues like Fredonia is.
UUP says that the money to fix our problems is there, but the Board of Trustees isn’t giving it to the school, which has led the administration to implement these program cuts.
Other “smaller” SUNY schools have already implemented similar program cuts, such as SUNY Potsdam, which The Leader has covered in a previous issue.
The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/we-demand-a-fair-share-for-fredonia?source_location=petitions_browse.
Currently, students are communicating through Yik Yak to organize a protest regarding program cuts.
This protest is rumored to begin at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 outside of Fenton Hall on campus.
The Leader will update this article once more information is available.