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More than 200 people, mostly students, attended an informational forum at Wells Conference Center Monday to discuss the proposed changes released last week that would include the elimination of majors in foreign languages, women’s studies, theater and music at the University of Maine.
The deans of UMaine’s five colleges were all present to answer questions about the proposals, issued by the Academic Program Prioritization Working Group, as were President Robert Kennedy and Provost Susan Hunter. The proposals are part of a university-wide effort to tackle a projected budget shortfall of $25.2 million, and would save the university more than $12 million between 2011 and 2014, according to a statement issued by the university.
The recommendations would eliminate other majors as well, and combine some departments to form broader programs. Ultimately, the changes would result in 16 fewer undergraduate majors, six fewer master’s degree programs, 80 fewer full-time faculty and the complete dismantlement of the Department of Public Administration. All changes would be in place by fiscal year 2014.
The recommendations were the response by the deans to an assignment from the provost to draft a plan for a 20 percent cut in funding to their college.
Dana Humphrey, dean of the school’s engineering college, said he hoped a 20 percent cut would not be the final outcome of the prioritization and restructuring process in his college.
“I hope we will not see equal cuts everywhere,” Humphrey told students. “I had hoped engineering would see less cuts than the other colleges.”
Dean Jeffrey Hecker of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said he hoped the impressive showing at his discussion — easily the most well-attended at the forum with more than 100 people present at any time in the three-hour session — would result in a final recommendation of smaller cuts to his college as well. He said that more than 50 percent of the university’s credit hours are taken through the college, and that every student at UMaine takes courses in liberal arts and sciences. For these reasons, Hecker said an across-the-board 20 percent cut would disproportionately affect his college.
Discussion sometimes became heated. In the conference room where Hecker discussed the cuts with students and faculty, the comments were mostly born of frustration and anger.
“Cutting the music department from seven majors to one is like having an ice cream store with only one flavor,” said one student. “Who the hell wants to go to that store?” Other students decried the proposed cut of the modern languages and classics department as a slight to culture and a poor move on the part of the university
Hecker said the decision to cut majors was the result of assessing whether a department could offer a major if faculty who retired were not replaced – the primary means by which the proposal saves the university money. The answer for the departments that might hit the cutting block, Hecker said, was “no.”
“[The university] has had to make decisions that no one wants to make,” Hecker said. He said faculty salary takes up 95 percent of the college’s budget, making it the only place cuts can be made.
Kennedy told students that while the budget crisis the university has been handed is severe, “I promise you we will do the best we can.”
Around 3 p.m., Professor Beth Wiemann, chairwoman of the music department, led a more than 80 music performance and education students and faculty into the center to speak with Kennedy and Hunter.
Adrian St. Pierre, a sophomore working toward a double major in music education and performance, said she thought that if students remain composed and respectful, the administration will listen to their plea not to cut the performing arts.
“New information has come to light today, in this forum. We will spend the next several weeks going over it,” Kennedy told the students and faculty. “I will remember your presence here today.”
“I feel like the provost and president really do care,” said Elizabeth Graham, a sophomore music performance student. “I just hope they listen.”
But some students said they felt their concerns were falling on deaf ears. Several protested the proposed cuts with signs near the entrance to the conference center. An online petition, “Keep UMaine’s Language Majors” — sponsored by the modern languages and classics department — had amassed 638 signatures by Tuesday evening.
“It seems to me that their minds are already made up,” said Virginia Sand, a senior French and Native American studies student. “This whole process makes me so discouraged for the future.”
Keegan Burdette, a first-year modern languages student also said student’s presence was futile.
“The deans are just here to console us,” Burdette said. “They are not listening to us. They’re just trying to make it look like they’re listening.”
“We’re taking comments seriously,” said Gail Werrbach, professor in the College of Public Policy and Health and APPWG member. “I don’t have a crystal ball. In the end, it’s the president’s decision. It’s about making choices between worthwhile programs. I don’t envy the deans for having to make this kind of decision in their own colleges.”
Vice President of Student Government Nyssa Gatcombe encouraged students to attend Tuesday’s meeting of the General Student Senate to voice their thoughts and questions about the proposed cuts. Kennedy and Hunter will both attend. GSS will meet at 6 p.m. in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union. UMaine students will be allowed five minutes each to speak.
After they have finished gathering public input, the group will draft a final report with recommendations for the provost by April 8. Hunter will review the recommendations and deliver the report to Kennedy, whose approval is needed before any official changes are made. Ultimately, the approval of the University of Maine System board of trustees is required to eliminate any programs.
APPWG was created by Kennedy last year to make recommendations for realigning the academic programs at the university to “show strong support of our highest priority degree programs funded by a reduction in those ranked as our lowest priorities,” as stated in the president’s charge to the group. The group worked for seven months creating criteria to evaluate degree programs and formulating courses of action based on the information gathered by the provost and the deans.
The full report and more information about APPWG can be found at umaine.edu/achievingsustainability.
Tyler Francke contributed to this report.
