Colleges in Dire Financial Straits

[Hibush]

From the article:

But if I can convince myself I have a brand-new role, one in which I help prepare students for careers completely different from mine, I may be able to keep going. That means I have new challenges and must ask hard questions about what they need to learn, not just what I enjoy teaching.

If it's only recently that she's had to ask hard questions about what students need to learn, then she does represent that large, slow-moving ship.

One shudders to think that agile forward-thinking administrators are held back by recalcitrant faculty.

[secundem_artem]

I'm lucky enough to work in an environment where trying new things is valued.  Our units are small - no matter what your skill set is, you are an N of 1 in that area.  In my time at Artem U, I have been able to move to a new department twice and change my academic interests, coursework, and research program across 3 different fields.  I describe myself as the academic equivalent of a  utility infielder.  I've added 2 new credentials that allow me to teach in new programs.

I really don't care who does or does not appreciate or value me.  My locus of control for my career is entirely internal.  I don't need a dean or dept head telling me what to do next or blowing me kisses.  I've more than once simply presented them with a plan for my next step and they sign off on it.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to work in that kind of environment.  I'm not trying to humble brag (and probably failing at that) but I have been able to pursue new academic, scholarly and teaching interests over the last 30 years.  I advocate for myself HARD.  I've only got 3-5 more years to run before I move to the ranks of the emeriti.  I know I've been lucky, and I know I am of a generation that came up before things got so dire.  But on the bright side, none of you will have to read my quit lit blog when the day comes. 

Those of you so inclined can feel free to throw tomatoes and rotten eggs at this, but my experiences are my own.  For many of you, things have never been rosy and are slated to get worse.  You have my sincere commiserations.

[Ruralguy]

To tell the truth, my career has mostly been similar.

However, there can be a certain unintentional  tyranny associated with a group valuing autonomy above most else.  I have noticed it sometimes becoming a "get off my lawn" sort of effect that can lead to a significant number of people not embracing change that *might* touch on their "stuff."  Of course the flip side is why get into changing around lots of stuff if its going to seriously change the level at which we can be autonomous, especially if the old way gets good results.

[kaysixteen]

What's your PhD in, that you were able to move depts twice?

[Hibush]

The right level of innovation for a school to stay in good financial health is likely where individual initiative like secundem's is supported, but it is done in a way that supports the central mission of the school and department. Where is gets some complementary engagement from other faculty. It is hard to tell the visionary team inspirer from the lone wolf in some ways. Both like a lot of autonomy. But the results are pretty different.

[Harlow2]

Cabrini University in suburban Philadelphia. Accreditor (Middle States) is looking at the planned "cuts" of senior academic leadership and the merging 2 of its colleges. Positions involved include the provost and several deans and 18 department chairs.  Deficit is mounting and enrollment in severe decline.

[secundem_artem]

What's your PhD in, that you were able to move depts twice?

I'm in a clinical field & have a professional doctorate.  I added a Master's in a parallel field and it's given me flexibility across disciplines in a school where, as I said, most folk are an N of 1 in their field. 

Rural guy and Hibush mention the possibility that some of what I've done can lead to faculty running off the rails and becoming rogue elements.  In my case, I knew there were new programs being developed and specifically sought a credential to let me participate in that program - I now run it.  I've worked with my dept head to create a new major that is bringing in new students.  My last sabbatical was designed to sit nicely in the middle of 3 other groups' strategic plans.  They couldn't fund me fast enough.

As Hibush says, the trick is to be innovative and still support the university's central mission.  I've been quite intentional in how I've done that.

As always, your mileage may vary. 

And, as always, it REALLY helps if you don't work for idiots.  I don't.

[Ruralguy]

The way I see it is that if faculty start using autonomy as an excuse for *not* doing things (the "you can't make me!" effect),
then its not healthy. Its healthy if its leading to a personal *and* institutional benefit.  Of course, sometimes faculty opposition is justified, so I am not saying faculty can't ever dig heels in to oppose proposal X from whomever. I just mean that if this is the overlaying sense of autonomy you  get from a workplace, then it probably isn't working as well as, say, the situation SA describes.

[Wahoo Redux]

Admin at our college is killing seven programs, including the Spanish major.  What university kills foreign languages!?  It's not like Spanish is an important language in contemporary America.

[Mobius]

Admin at our college is killing seven programs, including the Spanish major.  What university kills foreign languages!?  It's not like Spanish is an important language in contemporary America.

My guess is the number of majors is small, right? Will the college stop teaching Spanish? My guess is most foreign language majors are going to disappear. You are seeing that at many of the schools that have cut a significant number of faculty in recent years. What are the outcomes of those majoring in Spanish? Do they end up double majoring or going to grad school in a different field?

I also teach in a field under threat. I have ideas that could lead to better outcomes, but no takers on getting a consensus on revising our curriculum.

[Ruralguy]

Our language majors, especially Spanish, usually double major in Business or Government. Although our Hispanic student  pop is low, their representation among the Spanish majors is relatively high ( I suppose they are "subsidized" by prior language and culture knowledge). Other languages on campus are fading away fast in terms of popularity for fulfilling requirements and for majoring or minoring.

[jimbogumbo]

Admin at our college is killing seven programs, including the Spanish major.  What university kills foreign languages!?  It's not like Spanish is an important language in contemporary America.

Ours killed French and German in 2016, and barely spared Spanish. Intro French (four semesters) is still being taught. I and III in Fall, and II and IV in Spring.

[Hibush]

it REALLY helps if you don't work for idiots.  I don't.

This is the secret to staying out of dire financial straits! Faculty contribute a lot, and happily.

[Ruralguy]

It may not in the end be the  cure. There really no substitute for money. But a house divided against itself can't stand, and a faculty buzzing away isn't just distracted, bit actually working to support the institution in some way. So, yes, a cooperative and busy faculty (and staff) can at least stave off or at least not contribute to the fall of the college/university.

[Mobius]

We're going to need to accept the fact that some majors are going to need to lean on other disciplines to fill out course offerings. The issue on many campuses is no one wants to do it. Or you have a discipline willing to count 1-3 classes from another discipline to count for the major, but other disciplines won't do the same.