Last month we saw that the Philosophy program at SUNY Potsdam is as soon as once more underneath risk.
In the intervening time, an unofficial philosophy web site has been up to date with some additional details about the cuts.
The assaults on philosophy and different applications has are available three phases:
First got here the realignment plan… The choices reached in that course of have by no means as soon as been publicly defended; there was no knowledge launched, no case made, certainly no justification of any kind supplied for why the focused applications have been focused.
Second: Huge non-renewals (an correct quantity the school refuses to launch) within the Spring of 2023. Lots of my junior colleagues shall be unemployed come fall of 2024.
Three: the lengthy threatened ‘Draconian’ programmatic cuts that can rework the establishment are revealed in a gathering known as for 10 a.m on Tuesday, September 19 2023, probably the most common educating hours on campus. No questions have been entertained by the SUNY Chancellor, who blessed the plan, or by the President, who presented it.
The web site says that there was little to no school enter in these selections:
There was no significant campus collaboration throughout any of those phases—every was merely imposed by the administration underneath the duvet of a monetary disaster. Fred Kowal, UUP President, argues that this disaster was largely created by a failure of the state of New York to adequately fund the SUNY and CUNY programs, together with quite a few selections taken by SUNY Central during the last decade which have severely deprived the SUNY 4 12 months schools and have favored the Analysis establishments and a couple of 12 months schools. SUNY Potsdam additionally had years of economic mismanagement and neglect, although nobody will both take or place any blame for that neglect.
Nobody denies that the school is in determined monetary straits. However this would appear all of the extra cause to take an proof pushed, cost-benefit evaluation strategy to righting the ship. As a substitute we’ve realignment, non-renewals, and now, Section Three, the lengthy threatened ‘Draconian’ programmatic cuts that can rework the establishment.
It’s price noting, as one of many extra scandalous components of this sordid story, is that directors began telling school that large cuts have been coming not less than as early as December 2022, and have been referring to the “Monetary Stability Plan” not less than as early as January 2023. Section Three has been not less than 8 months within the coming, throughout which era no effort was made to speak to college aside from the threats one thing large was coming. And it got here.
Additional particulars here.
