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October 23, 2009 volume 102 • issue 7 Freshmen New Plan Cuts Faculty Issue By Gary James ‘10, Editor-in-Chief 2013 Class Latest Measure Aimed at Professors’ Reactions Profiles Budget Shortfall Mixed As students exhaled in anticipation of their mid-semester break, For some professors, the Faculty Restructuring Plan produced a Wabash professors held their breaths last Tuesday, as they learned the sigh of relief. But others are still catching their breaths. Faculty details of a new Faculty Restructuring Plan that will reduce the size of response to the restructuring plan has ranged from fear and anger to College’s teaching corps. hopefulness and resoluteness, and all the emotions in-between. The plan was presented to faculty members during last week’s divi- “We were shocked to find out that we’ve been cut to an all time sion meetings and calls for an eight-person overall reduction in the size low,” said Classics Professor and Department Chair Leslie Day. of full-time faculty. While all three divisions are slated to shrink, Divi- “They say we went back to two but we’ve always had 3 people. Even sion II departments, which include Art, Music, and Classics, will back in 1978 there were three people teaching classics, which makes receive the brunt of the cuts, which will be fully implemented during a big difference. We are dismayed about the department because [the the 2011-2012 academic year. plan] means that we have been cut by 30%, which means that when Division II faculty positions will shrink by five, from 38 professors we’re offering three majors we can’t do it. Something’s got to give.” to 33 professors. Professor of German Sarah Painitz and Professor of Chemistry Professor and Division Chair Scott Feller was part of Music Vanessa Rogers, who were both hired tenure-track within the the team that drew up the plan, and he said the decisions weighed past two years, confirmed to Bachelor staff earlier this week that they heavily on his mind. His own division was reduced by two positions, have been notified that their positions will be eliminated at the end of and he anticipates a combination of juggling more survey classes, the 2009-2010 academic year. The remaining cuts will be realized by possibly reducing some elective classes for majors, and developing Pages 6,7,8,10,11 not filling some vacancies left by professors who have chosen to uti- more interdisciplinary learning opportunities. lize the early retirement option. “I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about this because, of Chief Financial Officer Larry Griffith said the cuts were a difficult course, we’re a small community and every loss of a position is going Freshman but necessary step to prevent significant student tuition increases while to be felt acutely by the faculty in that department and by the students shoring up the budget shortfalls caused by the market decline and the who take those courses,” he said. “And, in addition to being col- subsequent endowment drop. The restructuring plan is the latest in a leagues, we’re often friends. But in the end you have to try to con- Reflection Plan, Page 2 Reaction, Page 2 Freshmen Hunker Down OPINION, 5 Meet Grady Phillips ‘13 ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11 Bachelor staffers John McGaughey, Steve Henke, and Kyle Bender give a midsemester update on challenges and triumphs of the class of 2013. They SPORTS, 13 They talk to freshman pledges, athletes, and international students as well as support staff who work closest with them. Page 3 Oliva Ambitious, Active in First Weeks KYLE BENDER ‘12 Wabash student you expect great things from.” STAFF WRITER As for an intended career, Oliva is still undecided but has One memory from a recent a few ideas. summer mission trip to Ghost “I’m thinking about going Ranch in rural New Mexico into politics, but I would want sticks with freshman Francisco to go into Mexican politics. I Oliva. feel like there is a lot of poten- “It was the first time I saw tial in Mexico. I was born the sky, saw all the stars, and it there, but moved to the United was awesome,” said the Chica- States when I was young. I am go native. actually still considered a citi- Oliva was on a prestigious zen of Mexico. I’m hoping Summer Quest program of the that going to Wabash will help Chicago Public Schools. The improve my future political school district annually sends leadership skills. But I have students across the globe to also thought about going into experience new cultures. teaching. I tutored people in “I was able to work with the high school, in Algebra and community, helping a local ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11 writing in Spanish. I enjoy farm that provides food for Chicagoan Francisco Oliva has jumped into college life in classes, TKE, UPS, and Model UN. helping people.” people in need. You get an Oliva has successfully made experience of living without miliar with Wabash when he Since coming to Wabash, guages Dan Rogers is already the transition to being a college technology. It was a unique began his college search. Oliva has not backed down impressed with Oliva in class. student. But as the year pro- trip, I appreciate going there, “I heard good things about from any challenges. He is “Francisco is exactly the kind gresses, and homework and and it was a once in a lifetime this school. A former student already enrolled in upper-level of freshman you hope you’ll events pile on, he knows his experience.” from my high school, Juan Political Science and Spanish get when you start a semester,” life will continue to get busier. Oliva, a three-sport athlete Diaz ‘10, already goes here. courses; is a pledge of Tau Rogers said. “He can already “I’m just getting accustomed and valedictorian of John Han- He told me Wabash is a small Kappa Epsilon; and plans to hold his own in Spanish 303 – to the environment; it’s very cock College Preparatory High school in Indiana that has a join Unidos por Sangre and and that’s a rare thing for a different from high school. School on the southwest side of good reputation. So, I was Model UN. freshman to be able to do. But so far everything is going the Windy City, was not unfa- interested.” Professor of Modern Lan- Francisco is the kind of well. I’m happy here!” PAGE 2 • News The Bachelor October 23, 2009 BACHELOR Plan 301 w. wabash Ave. crawfordsville, IN From Page 1 Professor of Chemistry and 47933 Faculty Restructuring Division I Chair Scott Feller said series of actions administration they tried to balance the different EDITOR IN CHIEF Gary James officials have taken to address the needs of the institution. [email protected] College’s financial woes. Division I Recent Past Restructured “I would say every position was MANAGING EDITOR Previous cost-cutting measures BIO 7 6 looked at multiple times in multi- Patrick McAlister include staff reductions, across- ple ways to try to get every possi- [email protected] CHE 6 6 the-board operating cuts of more ble perspective,” he said. “What’s NEWS EDITOR MAT 7 6 John McGaughey than ten percent, and offering an the mix that’s going to maintain [email protected] early retirement package to faculty PHY 3 3 high student engagement [and] OPINION EDITOR and staff members over the age of Division II keep student-faculty ratios as low John Henry 55, which 32 people accepted. as possible in an environment [email protected] ART 3 2 “Anytime you make changes where the total number of faculty SPORTS EDITOR CLA 3 2 Chuck Summers it’s difficult,” Griffith said. “I is going to shrink.” [email protected] don’t think anything jumped off ENG 7 7 With the total number of facul- FEATURES EDITOR the table as ‘here’s what we don’t MLL 8 7 ty members decreasing and the Peter Robbins [email protected] need.’ We need it all, otherwise we MUS 3 2 student population expected to PHOTO EDITOR wouldn’t have it. But we can’t PHI 3 3 remain stable, administrators and Alex Moseman afford not to make change. For us faculty recognize individual [email protected] to not change means students are REL 5 4 departments and the College as a COPY EDITOR Riley Floyd going to have to pay for it. I think RHE 3 3 whole will have to retool. For [email protected] those are the tradeoffs you make. THE 3 3 some departments, that discussion “Our short range goal [is] to get has already begun. BACHELOR ADVISOR Division III to the point where we’re living on “When we realized what was Howard Hewitt ECO 5 5 The purpose of The Bachelor is to our revenue sources…and drawing going to happen, we began to go serve the school audience, includ- money from the endowment at a EDU 2 2 and take a look at our curriculum,” ing but not limited to administra- tors, faculty and staff, parents, responsible percentage so we’re HIS 5 4 said Spanish Professor Dan alumni, community members and not jeopardizing the future, yet not Rogers, the Modern Languages most importantly, the students. PSC 4 4 Because this is a school paper, jeopardizing the present.” Department Chair. “We’re almost the content and character within The restructuring plan was the PSY 5 5 ready to present to the faculty a will cater to the student body’s interests, ideas and issues.