Students share concerns at program town hall
The Student Feedback Town Hall was held in the Cowles Library Reading Room. The session was open to any students concerned about the cuts. Photo by Meghan Holloran | Photo Editor
At a recent town hall held for students to air their grievances and concerns regarding the recommendation to eliminate 12 academic programs, students’ minds were on the future.
“As students, we all have a dream that we want to fulfill. That’s why we’re here studying,” said Alejandro Lobo, an international student studying physics. “I know for a fact that if these opportunities are taken away from us, those dreams are at risk of never [being] fulfilled, and us never accomplishing what we set out to do.”
Lobo went on to express that despite the proposed cuts, he still wanted to believe in Drake’s ability to pull through for its students.
Megan Brown, an English professor and Faculty Senator At-Large, moderated the event on Thursday, March 28. She invited students to share their concerns with a promise that they would be documented and brought back to Faculty Senate and Provost Sue Mattison for consideration.
The meeting came in the wake of an email that was sent out to Drake students on March 1, which contained a list of six undergraduate majors, four undergraduate minors, two graduate majors and one graduate certificate program slated to be reviewed for discontinuation.
The proposed cuts weren’t a threat to sophomore Josie Hildreth, a student of Brown’s, but when she heard about the cuts, she knew something had to be done.
“My majors aren’t on the chopping block, but I know a lot of people whose [majors] are,” Hildreth said.
Hildreth initially proposed that students be allowed to voice their concerns at faculty senate meetings, an idea which Brown countered with a student town hall.
“I knew that I had this avenue through Professor Brown, so anything I could do to help other students was what I was aiming for,” Hildreth said. “Even if [the town halls] just correct the confusion about what’s going on on Drake’s campus, it’s gonna be helpful for students.”
Students who spoke at the meeting came from a wide variety of majors, including some that were not on the recommended list, such as mathematics as well as law, politics and society.
Many of the speakers expressed their sadness at the possibility of losing the home they had found within their majors.
“It took me a really long time to find my place at Drake,” said Lily Zeleny, a sophomore studying LPS and rhetoric, media and social change, the latter of which is up for consideration for elimination. “I can confidently say I found that in the rhetoric program. I feel like I have a safe space there, and knowing that that could be taken away is really scary.”
On Friday, Mattison sent out an email acknowledging that she had made a “mistake,” looking at departmental rather than program data — a mistake she became aware of due to Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting. The Times-Delphic reported that the anthropology/sociology major has been removed from the list of programs recommended to be cut.
Provost: Board of Trustees has ultimate authority on program cuts
Another town hall is slated to be held after the finalized list of recommended program cuts is released on April 11. The time, date and location of this meeting have yet to be decided.
Faculty Senate will vote on the recommended program cuts on April 17, according to the Drake internal website “Shaping Our Future.” President Marty Martin will tell campus about the Board of Trustees’ decisions on April 29.
The Board of Trustees can eliminate academic programs without the agreement of the Faculty Senate or the affected faculty, according to Mattison. Drake’s Academic Charter says that “ultimate authority for fiduciary matters” lies with the Board, she said.
“But that’s not their intent,” Mattison said. “Because it’s not in the best interest of the University.”
If the Faculty Senate votes against the recommended program cuts, Mattison said she didn’t know what the Board would do in that situation.
Brown urged students at the town hall to reach out to her via email at megan.brown@drake.edu with any further questions or concerns regarding the cuts.
“Students are the reason why we do the work that we do as faculty members,” Brown said at the town hall. “Faculty Senate cares very deeply about your voices.”
Morgen Neuhauser and Andrew Kennard contributed to the reporting.
