SIERRA MILLS
Chief Copy Editor
The proposed program cuts have been plaguing the minds of students, faculty and staff since their announcement, with questions having seemingly gone unanswered and many discussions and data being hidden from the public.
“It’s been horrific. We knew it was coming. You know, we’ve seen it happening as President [Stephen] Kolison repeats and he’s not wrong: It’s happening all over the country. It’s happening to flagships, it’s happening in regional universities, [and] it’s happening at private universities with smaller endowments,” said Dr. Bruce Simon, the University Senate chairperson and a professor of English.
Following the approaching date of a finalized list of programs being discontinued at Fredonia, University Senate decided to hold a special meeting solely discussing the program cuts and how this would affect students and faculty.
This meeting took place on Monday, Feb. 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Kelly Auditorium in the Science Center. It was open to all students.
This meeting was highly anticipated by students and faculty, as questions about the ongoing changes to campus have only been answered through the President’s Office’s Roadway to Financial Sustainability Q&A section on its website, where people can contribute questions to be answered by President Kolison and others involved in the decision-making process.
The questions that have been answered are limited, which led to hopes of more concrete answers during the meeting.
The meeting was open to anyone wanting or willing to voice their concerns or ask questions to either Simon or anyone in the administration.
During the meeting, the updated list of the programs being recommended for deactivation was not given to attendees, despite having been requested.
After the audience had a scheduled 30 minutes to air out their concerns and questions to Simon and the administration, Kolison made a report about the ongoing decision-making and possible communications with SUNY in Albany.
“But to me, the question is: why did it have to be something that was negotiated only between our administration and SUNY system administration between July 15 and Dec. 6? … Why, between Dec. 6 [to] now, has it continued to be what I have to assume is ongoing conversations among administrators, when it’s the faculty who are responsible for the curriculum? Even when there’s financial considerations, their input should be, in my opinion, prioritized,” Simon said regarding the timeline of the discussions on program discontinuation proposals.
After the president’s report, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. David Starrett also made a report, giving an update on the program cuts from his end of the decision-making.
“It feels like a slap in your face if you’re a sculpture student, or a photography or philosophy student, and you care about the degree you value, and it seems like people in Albany don’t value it the same way you do,” Simon said.
Members of Students for Fredonia (SFF) also attended the meeting, advocating for evidence and data to be shared to allow students and professors alike to see what is happening behind the scenes.
“They are trying to cover their mistakes up but logistically, nothing can change at this point … so by waiting now for feedback, it voids anything we have concerns about, as it doesn’t matter,” Henry Domst, a senior graphic design and art history major and a member of SFF, said after attending the meeting.
Another special University Senate meeting will occur on March 18, at 4 p.m., after the final list of programs being cut is sent to the Senate.
“The March 18 meeting, [is] going to be largely, I would say, taken up by what’s on the final list … and the rationale [behind it],” said Simon.
Recently, a Google Form that allows the campus community to input their thoughts on Fredonia as a whole has been released by the Senate Executive Committee.
“I think part of the core problem is, how do we get people … like state legislators and the governor … to control the strings? … How do we get them to see our disciplines the way we see them? And that’s a problem that’s been going on for a long, long time,” Simon said.
University Senate meetings are open for anyone to come and see some of the decision-making processes that involve everyone on campus, with a list of all the upcoming meetings listed in the University Senate section on Fredonia’s website.
Simon explained that, “[The program discontinuances are] very complicated. It’s [not really been] in the public eye, but it’s a serious conversation, and we’re gonna see the results of it fairly soon.”
Henry Domst, a member of SFF interviewed for this article, is the Design Editor of The Leader.