The Office of the Provost, in consultation with Eastern Michigan University deans, has compiled a list of several academic programs to be reviewed and evaluated for growth, consolidation, and in some cases, phasing out.
Some of the programs listed in the phase out and consolidation categories include: the PhD psychology degree, the masters in music education, the consolidation of various sub programs within the special education program and a masters in interior design.
In a March 25 email memo to faculty members, Provost and Executive Vice President Jack Kay requested official faculty input be provided to each respective department head and dean, and forwarded to his office within 30 working days. If input was not received by the end of the semester, Kay requested faculty members provide feedback by Sept. 14.
EMU-AAUP President Susan Moeller responded March 30 and said Kay’s memo outlined a process outside of the contractual guidelines required by the EMU-AAUP and EMU Master Agreement.
Moeller said she requested a delay in Kay’s request for input until April 15, 2012. The delay would allow time for not only affected faculty members to provide input, but students as well, Moeller said.
“A thorough review of this magnitude requiring faculty input is not feasible within 30 working days,” Moeller said in an e-mail to Kay.
“Even with the September 14, 2011 final input date, this timeline is not reasonable as no formal faculty input bodies will be meeting over the spring/summer,” Moeller said. “Additionally, your office has failed to provide the data required by the contract to the affected programs and departments. The 30-working-day time period does not start until the data is received by the program faculty.”
The Assistant Vice President for Academic Human Resources Donald Ritzenhein, said the Provost’s office has properly adhered to the faculty’s contract.
“I would not want to get into allegations of contract violations, but we do not think we violated the contract,” he said. “We believe the faculty should have 30 working days to give us their advice on these programs.”
John Texter, a Polymers and Coatings professor, said he supports the position of the EMU-AAUP.
“When the president of the AAUP claims that the provost has not acted conformably with our contract, I believe her,” he said. “It’s strange because we just had an expensive program review in the last year and nothing significant was said to us, and we were patted on the back.”
Texter was informed about the list at a meeting.
“I heard about it at a faculty senate meeting when the provost announced that because someone had leaked it, he decided to send out the list to everyone,” he said. “I was at a faculty senate meeting last week and President Martin chose to chastise the faculty for not coming up with a list of cuts that can be made in academic affairs. There are programs that don’t have enough money to buy things for their copy machines.”
When it comes to balancing the budget, Texter said there are plenty of other places to look at.
“I don’t want to see football cut, but why do we have to pay our football coach more than the president makes to maintain a last place position,” he said. “I was disappointed that President Martin seems to be more interested in making money in sports. The trouble is, she refuses to look at her own university budget outside of academic affairs.
“It’s been pointed out to her where she can focus and this focus on cutting programs is a bad political move and I think it’s a way to get administration off the hook for loading the administration,” he said.
“I agree with the faculty union, university budget council and the faculty senate when they say President Martin should look at the tremendous bloating of the administration and not try to blame the faculty.”
Texter said he was surprised to see both the bachelors and masters Polymers and Coatings degree program on the “phase-out-or-consolidate” list. EMU has the only undergraduate program in the country and graduates of the program are always able to find jobs upon graduation, he said.
“We’ve had 100 percent placement since I’ve been here for nine years,” he said. “Every week, someone contacts me or my colleagues and says they have a position to fill. There are more jobs out there than we can fill.”
Ritzenhein said it’s important to note no decisions have been finalized.
“Well, part of the reason we ask for review is to see what the impact would be on phasing out any programs,” Ritzenhein said. “We’re not saying they should be phased out, we’re asking for review. It’s a question, not a command to the faculty. I’m sure the faculty will point out the many advantages to the programs. We want to hear the pros and cons.”
One area marked for growth is the bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Susan Gregory, the program coordinator, said it’s because her program has had a steady increase over the past five to nine years because of several different factors.
“We are the only accredited hospitality program in Michigan,” Gregory said. “We also have made a concerted effort to work with local community colleges to increase the number of transfer students from their culinary and hospitality associates degree programs.”
“In addition, all faculty — tenured and adjunct — have significant industry experience to draw on in the classroom setting,” she said. “Students expect this and appreciate the practical knowledge.”
Texter said he believes this is the wrong time to worry about cutting programs because it doesn’t necessarily translate into dollars saved for the university.
“Cutting programs isn’t going to save money because you still have the professors involved that have to be paid and I do think it’s a good idea to focus on how to improve the program and make it viable,” Texter said.
“The magnitude of the budget deficit we’re facing as a school is never going to be addressed in any meaningful way by cutting programs and this has been shown at other schools,” he said. “You hurt yourself by cutting programs instead of growing programs.”Ritzenhein said this review is something regularly occurring at the university.
“First of all, while there might be some savings, this is an ongoing review of programs that takes place from time to time and not specifically a part of the budget reduction,” Ritzenhein said. “There may be some savings, but this effort is separate from the deeper issue in terms of balancing the budget.”
The programs on the list to be phased out have very few graduates, Ritzenhein said. If those programs are selected to be eliminated, he said students enrolled would be able to complete their studies.
“I do want to make a clear point that if a decision is made to phase out any program or degrees, students currently enrolled will be able to complete them,” he said.
The individuals impacted by this the most are students, according to Texter.
“I’m very concerned about a lot of students,” he said. “We have a very good student from Brazil. He’s come a long way to be with us and he’s very concerned. He doesn’t understand what’s going on. I have been dealing with it directly and assuring them that if it does happen, we will sit down and design a mechanism that would allow them to graduate.”
Texter said it’s important for all students, regardless of which program they’re enrolled in to know professors are taking this very serious.
“We’d like and urge any students who have fears to talk to their professors,” he said. “The main thing I would like to avoid is to create a lot of anxiety among students that may be interested in one of the targeted or evaluated lists. Talk to your professors because I think their fears can be assuaged.”
