Congwen Wang, ASG senator and SLIM graduate student, expresses his concerns over the recent faculty dismissals. (photos by Noah Eppens)
A representative from administration spoke to Emporia State’s student government during their meeting on Sept. 15 to answer questions about ESU’s Workforce Management framework, which resulted in Thursday’s dismissal of 33 faculty members.
“In the end, this decision is final. We have no one else to go to, the president and KBOR have approved this,” said Abe Lemus, Associated Student Government (ASG) diversity and inclusion chair and senior political science major.
Steven Lovett, associate professor of business administration and ESU’s secondary general counsel, said that ESU was not discontinuing programs, but instead conducting a “review and evaluation of everything.” Lovett also said the dismissals were “not a budget cutting exercise,” and that everything being done at ESU is “with the aim and the goal of getting better.”
Lovett’s presentation left some senator’s confused about what the goal of the dismissals was, if not to deal with budget cuts.
“(Lovett) mentioned that the goal isn’t budget cuts; it’s just a step into a further angle. But, I don’t think…they’ve said what that angle is,” said senator Dallas Nowlin, junior interdisciplinary studies and ethnic, gender, and identity studies major. “It sounds, to me, (that) the goal is to reduce future budget cuts; so the goal is budget cuts, basically.”
The majority of faculty who were dismissed can remain at ESU through the end of May with full benefits and may also qualify for three months severance pay, unless they are terminated before then, Lovett said.
Senators asked what would occur if professors left before May, and what the university’s plan was to deal with the affected classes and programs without overwhelming other professors.
“Those will all be on a case-by-case basis given what scenario or situation presents itself,” said Shelly Gehrke, vice president for enrollment management and student success and ASG adviser.
2% of students are expected to be affected by the framework, according to an email sent out by President Ken Hush earlier this week. Lovett said students can expect to complete their degrees, even if their program was impacted by the dismissals.
“I don’t think that the only way this is affecting students is in the programs…As we heard here before, if some of the faculty leaves, it’s affecting the students, in the moment, right now,” said senator Camila Viorel Escobar, sophomore crime and delinquency studies major and Spanish translator for The Bulletin. “I don’t believe that 2% is the actual number of students affected right now.”
Several senators called for more transparency from the administration about the dismissals.
“Transparency is necessary,” said senator Sandy Nguyen, junior secondary education and business major. “Do not be contradictory.”
Lemus urged that more people in the campus and community be involved in this decision making.
“We must stop the ‘students, students, students,’ mantra sponsored by the administration,” Lemus said. “We must accept an inclusive community that includes every single one of our stakeholders, such as students, faculty, staff and alumni.”
Senator Adia Witherspoon, ASG legislative director and senior earth science major, said the framework did not match the core values of excellence, respect, responsibility and service that ESU lists on its website.
“(The framework) lacks integrity,” Witherspoon added. “It lacks collaboration, and it lacks regard for the personal wellbeing of our students and our faculty.”
Sarah Spicer advises The Bulletin on stories about Emporia State’s framework to dismiss employees.