THURSDAY, VOLUME 88 FEB. 25, 2021 THE ITHACAN ISSUE 3 ACCURACY • INDEPENDENCE • INTEGRITY GONE ITHACA COLLEGE APPROVES PLAN FOR FACULTY CUTS BY ALEXIS MANORE Implementation Committee (APPIC) released its Education Leadership Management and Policy at nonacademic programs profoundly affect the final recommendations for the APP in the “Shape Seton Hall University, said colleges are making lives of our colleagues, friends, students and On the night of Feb. 24, approximately 75 of the College” document Feb. 18. The final cuts in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic alumni,” they wrote in the email. Collado and students gathered and placed candles on the recommendations, like the draft document, but also because of concerns about finances. Cornish did not have more to say to The Ithacan steps of the Ithaca College Library to honor recommend the elimination of 116 FTE fac- “[Ithaca College’s plan] is one of the most after the release of the email. the faculty members who will lose their jobs as ulty positions and 26 departments, programs aggressive cuts I’ve seen in the country,” he said. David Lissy, chair of the Ithaca College a result of the Academic Program Prioritization and majors. In a Feb. 24 email to the college community, Board of Trustees, and Jim Nolan, vice chair (APP) process. Earlier that day, President Shirley Colleges all over the United States have been Collado and Cornish said the changes will occur of the board, also sent an email to the campus M. Collado and La Jerne Cornish, provost and making cuts to faculty and staff positions due to over the next three academic years. community stating that the board voted to sup- senior vice president for academic affairs, ap- decreased enrollment and financial issues exac- “Transformative change is difficult and fre- port the decision to accept the “Shape of the proved the recommended elimination of 116 erbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. quently personal, and we understand that the College” recommendations. full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty positions. Robert Kelchen, associate professor of high- changes to come for our academic programs and The Academic Program Prioritization er education and chair of the Department of the changes that have already happened in our CUTS, PAGE 4 Administration loses arbitration SGC passes legislation case to contingent faculty union opposing faculty cuts BY MADISON FERNANDEZ BY SYD PIERRE affairs, announced their final decision The American Arbitration Asso- The Ithaca College Student Gov- to adopt the “Shape of the College” ciation (AAA) has ruled against the ernance Council (SGC) passed a document Feb. 24. Ithaca College administration in a resolution expressing no confidence “On Monday, the Student Gover- case involving the college’s action in the “Shape of the College” proposal nance Council voted no confidence in against a contingent faculty member. outlining faculty and program cuts at the Shape of the College Recommen- The AAA ruled that Tom its Feb. 22 meeting. dation,” the SGC said in a Feb. 24 Schneller, assistant professor in the The No Confidence in Shape statement to The Ithacan. “We stand Department of Music Performance, of the College Recommendation by our students and we will continue did not violate the union’s Collective resolution resolves stopping the to advocate for shared governance in Bargaining Agreement (CBA), as the implementation of the “Shape the hopes of promoting student voic- college claimed. In May, Schneller of the College” draft in order es and concerns.” posted an open letter to Intercom on to incorporate more student, The SGC passed the No Con- behalf of the union, titled “Solidarity staff and faculty input. The bill fidence in Shape of the College in a Time of Crisis: A Plea from Your recommends that the college cre- Recommendation resolution with a Contingent Colleagues.” ate a committee composed of five roll call vote of 15–1 with no absten- The letter urged the students, five faculty and five staff tions. Sophomore Austin Ruffino, college’s administration to be representatives selected by the cam- senator-at-large, voted against the bill. creative in its attempts to save pus community to be involved in the At the meeting, Ruffino did not say money amid the COVID-19 pandem- The Contingent Faculty Union urged the administration to be creative in its attempts to save money during the COVID-19 pandemic. decision-making process; establish why he voted this way and has not ic and to support contingent faculty regular meetings with the SLT to responded to requests for comment. ASH BAILOT/THE ITHACAN members, who are most at risk of create engagement between dif- The bill was sponsored by senior being laid off. ferent groups, like the SGC, the Agnes Scotti, Class of 2021 senator; This letter was posted be- “to privilege the most vulnerable list she received from the admin- Board of Trustees, the Contingent junior Sebastian Chavez, Students fore La Jerne Cornish, provost faculty for these overages so that istration showed a total of 142 Faculty Union, Faculty Council, of Color Coalition senator; junior and senior vice president for ac- those who find themselves jobless contingent faculty. This included 27 Staff Council and the campus com- Jacqueline Laferrier, class of 2022 ademic affairs, announced the in the fall might have a final few full-time contingent faculty mem- munity; and email weekly APPIC senator; and junior Lauren Miller and Academic Program Prioritization paychecks before being laid off bers and 115 part-time contingent updates. Updates for the APP are co-sponsored by junior Kellie Swen (APP) plans to the Faculty Council in August.” faculty members. On average, she currently posted on the Office of the sen and student organizations Itha- in October. Rachel Fomalhaut, lecturer in said there are usually between Provost’s website. cappella, IC Voicestream, IC Second The letter asked for tenured, the Department of Writing, said in 220 and 250 part-time and 60 The bill recommends that these Stage, Students of Color Coalition, tenure-track and non-tenure-eligible a November interview that a total full-time contingent faculty members recommendations be implemented Model United Nations, Ithaca College notice (NTEN) colleagues to “consid- of 77 contingent faculty members in a semester. before President Shirley M. Collado er refusing summer overload credits” were not rehired for Fall 2020. ARBITRATION, PAGE 4 and La Jerne Cornish, provost and LEGISLATION, PAGE 4 and to pressure department chairs She said that for Fall 2020, the senior vice president for academic LIFE & CULTURE | page 13 OPINION | page 7 SPORTS | page 18 SUPERMARKET EVERYTHING ATHLETE SPENDS SAILS TO NEW IS NOT FINE SEMESTER ITHACA LOCATION FOLLOWING CUTS OFF THE GRID 2 | NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 Department forms plan for inclusion BY OLIVIA STANZL attend and developing a more equitable curriculum. The Ithaca College Department of “Our students are facing microag- Physics and Astronomy has created an gressions, these subconscious digs, Anti-racism and Inclusion Action Plan that add up,” Sullivan said. “I’ve been to combat discrimination and micro- a victim of these as a woman in phys- aggressions within the department. ics. Small numbers of women, lots of Kelley Sullivan, associate profes- biases against our abilities, and they sor in the Department of Physics and build up. They’re hard to deal with. Astronomy, chairs the Anti-racism We want to make sure that not just the and Inclusion Action Team, which faculty but also the students have an includes Colleen Countryman, as- awareness of what microaggressions Members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy have created a plan to combat racism within sistant professor in the Department are, what their biases are and how the department. The 14-page plan includes action items like bringing in diverse guest speakers. of Physics and Astronomy; senior they can combat them.” Oluwasekemi Odumosu; junior Sullivan and Luke Keller, Dana pro- COURTESY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Cyerra Adams; junior Antara Sen; fessor in the Department of Physics sophomore Ted Mburu; and fresh- and Astronomy, have begun to actively community because it has been Throughout Spring 2021, the team of taking steps towards change,” man Matt Weil. The 14-page plan educate themselves on issues relating shown to build retention and improve plans to coordinate DEI discus- Weil said. includes action items for Faculty to diversity, equity and inclusion. students’ success. This grant has al- sions at faculty meetings, work with Odumosu said she hopes that the and Staff Education; Student Ed- In the summer of 2019, the Na- lowed the program to create the STEM student organizations to create infor- department’s plan will encourage oth- ucation; Representation; Student tional Science Foundation awarded residential learning community, have mative poster displays for classrooms, ers to take similar steps. Support; Community; Curriculum Sullivan a grant that provides schol- STEM seminars and award 14 students have the faculty representatives and “All it needs is a few passionate and Pedagogy; and Diversity, Equity arships for high-performing students with scholarships up to $10,000 a year. the department chair work with people,” Odumosu said. “It makes and Inclusion (DEI) leadership. from low-income backgrounds who The action team has also de- administration to hire a student advo- a difference having those things The highest priority items include are committed to pursuing a degree in cided it is important to change the cate in Student Financial Services who written down and having a plan for bringing in diverse speakers, hav- computer science, mathematics, phys- freshman curriculum. Sullivan said will help students understand their the department.” ing DEI discussions at department ics or astronomy. the action team believes the current financial aid opportunities. faculty meetings, helping students Sullivan and her team focused curriculum favors students with a “I’m happy to be getting more OLIVIA STANZL find identity-based conferences to their programming on building a stronger math background than others.