Elaina Eakle
ehe001@marietta.edu
A total of 19 faculty positions will be phased out over the next two academic years due to a mandate from the Marietta College Board of Trustees.
The cuts were made across multiple departments and were not performance-based. Some of the 19 faculty members will be retiring or moving to new positions, others were non-renewed. The psychology, English and physics departments did not lose any faculty due to a fully tenured staff.
The cuts were made to a variety of departments due to financial need, according to Provost Dr. Janet Bland. The primary reason for the cuts was the significant drop in student enrollment, from 1,493 students in 2009 to approximately 1,200 students currently enrolled.
“We have fewer students than we had. It’s the math,” Bland said. “Most institutions raise tuition a little every year. We have to limit that. We can’t balance it on the students.”
Tom Perry, executive director of strategic communications and marketing, stated that the cuts are being made to allow Marietta College to remain an affordable institution.
“The actions we have taken are consistent with the national debate on the cost of a college education, and Marietta College has typically attracted students who require financial aid to cover the full amount of tuition,” he said. “This is an attempt to slow down the rise of tuition at Marietta.”
The primary change that students will see as a result of the cuts is that departments will be making adjustments to cover classes with fewer faculty members.
“Individual departments I’ve asked to problem-solve,” Bland said. “The chairs and their departments strategize as to how they are going to offer their courses, in what order, how often are they going to be offering those courses, with an eye to the fact that they have students that need to go through.”
Bland stressed that the changes will not impact students’ abilities to complete their degrees.
“The only program that first planning and then curriculum committee eliminated is French, the minor, but if you’re on a catalog that includes French as a minor, you’re going to be able to complete it,” she said. “This isn’t something where we’re going to be saying to people, ‘you can’t graduate on time.’”
While Bland expressed confidence in the future of Marietta College, she acknowledged that the cuts will significantly impact both faculty and students.
“Nobody thinks it’s easy,” she said. “We would much rather be sitting here with, you know, 1,500, 1,550 kids, we’d much rather that. Nobody thinks it’s minor, nobody thinks it’s easy, and we have great empathy, frankly, for the folks who were non-renewed.”
Alongside the faculty cuts, President Joseph Bruno may also face a vote of no confidence by the faculty. The motion to call for a vote of no confidence was introduced by Dr. David Brown, professor of biology and environmental sciences and member of the faculty council.
“If the motion is passed at the November 16 faculty meeting, it will simply be a public statement to indicate that the majority of the faculty do not have confidence in the president,” Dr. Dottie Erb, chair of the faculty council, said. “The outcome of the vote will also be shared with the board of trustees.”
Erb emphasized that the vote will reflect the majority opinion, but not necessarily the views of all faculty members.
“While there hasn’t been a vote, I am aware the faculty are discussing such a vote,” Bruno told The Marietta Times on Sept. 24. “I am committed to Marietta College and committed to my role as its leader. In the weeks and months ahead, I hope we can all come together and direct our focus on the students, improving the college, addressing the challenges and embracing our successes.”
Bland said that though the vote will not be taken lightly, there is no automatic outcome if the motion passes.
According to Bland and Perry, the college plans to assist the faculty members who were non-renewed in finding employment.
“We want to help them in their careers,” Bland said. “We have one-year contracts for a lot of them … so we’ve got some time to help them and for them to look for jobs. They’re good people and they’re good teachers. We want them to succeed.”
The college is also making efforts to improve morale among faculty and staff.
“We are trying to have some events that give people a chance to socialize with each other,” Bland said. “Honestly, it helps people when they feel like they’re part of the solution, the way I’m asking people to work at their departmental level.”
While departments may see changes, Bland does not foresee the institution being significantly altered.
“We’re not going anywhere,” she said. “We have a great and long history. We are a strong school; we have great students; we have great faculty and staff. We believe in a bright future not just for our graduates, but for the institution.”
Sophomore Jonah Mitchell, a Student Government Association (SGA) representative on the Curriculum Committee, shares Bland’s confidence in Marietta College.
“Moving forward, it is important to stay positive and not get too bogged down by all the rumors flying around,” he said. “Marietta College is going through some changes, but we are nowhere close to being in a crisis stage. We are actually doing relatively well compared to a lot of other institutions. I think it is important to remember that.”
Senior Gene Neill, also an SGA Rep. on the Curriculum Committee, expressed both sadness about the cuts and optimism regarding the college’s future.
“Marietta College is a close-knit community, therefore it is unfortunate to see anyone leave, and it may affect students personally, but our educational quality will withstand these less than ideal circumstances,” he said. “The education that we get with our institution is outstanding and I think that when decisions are made on our campus, this is taken into consideration.”
Dr. Nicole Livengood, associate professor of English, shares Neill’s mixed feelings.
“The cuts are devastating on personal and professional levels,” she said. “My heart is broken for those who have lost their jobs, for their students, and for Marietta College because we are losing excellent minds and passionate teachers, and the opportunity costs are great.”
Livengood believes that if the right actions are taken, Marietta College can overcome its current challenges.
“We also have opportunities as we readjust to the current situation,” she said. “We have the potential to be really forward-thinking and innovative with our curriculum as we respond to this situation and reconsider our general education curriculum and course offerings in general.”
Dr. Katrina Lustofin, associate professor of biology and environmental sciences, is also saddened by the loss of faculty, and believes the dedication of the remaining faculty will allow Marietta College to uphold its standards of education.
“I think it is a shame that we are losing some excellent faculty who have a lot to offer the college,” she said. “Those of us still here are still dedicated to providing quality education to MC students. I don’t think anything will change that.”
Despite the reductions in faculty, Dr. Daniel Monek, professor of choral and vocal music and music department chairman, believes the music department has grown.
“While the music department has experienced significant staff and faculty reductions over the past two years, we are pleased that we have hired some very highly qualified and talented part-time faculty, most with terminal degrees, to aid in covering our courses,” he said. “We are also very excited that this fall we welcomed one of our largest freshman classes of music majors to date. Within our current resources, we will continue our work to recruit and grow our vibrant and quality accredited programs and to recruit student-musicians of all majors knowing that these efforts will help sustain and support the college as a whole.”
Senior and Student Body President Kennedy Clyde shares Monek’s hope for a strong future for the college.
“Despite the obstacles and challenges that we face today, Marietta College remains a community that is propelled by an extraordinary body of people, who are truly dedicated to the success and growth of our institution,” she said.
