President Tom Sutton and faculty from departments affected by recent program cuts held student forums last Wednesday and Friday to discuss the changes to the Communication Arts and Sciences and Art departments, respectively.
Both forums followed a similar structure, with Sutton first discussing the “why” and “how” of the situation, and then answering questions from the students.
Sutton’s main point, which he made abundantly clear in both forums, was that students who are currently in one of the cut programs will be able to complete their degree at Baldwin Wallace University.
“By law, we have to guarantee that you can complete your program, your major, your minor, a graduate program,” Sutton said. “That’s a guarantee, even if we have to arrange with another university for you to go to finish it.”
However, Sutton said that it is unlikely that affected students will have to go to other universities to finish their degree. Sutton said that what is more likely is collaboration with other universities.
“It’s more about opportunities,” Sutton said. “If we’re offering a program, and two universities near us are offering that program, what if we were to collaborate and find a way to do it together?”
Sutton and faculty explained that collaboration could look like finding local teaching professionals in the area, hiring adjunct professors, finding substitute classes, or offering online classes. However, Sutton confirmed that he wants to minimize online classes, as he believes in an in-person learning environment.
“The expectation is that most, or all of these classes are going to be offered in-person,” Sutton said. “We are not going to put a whole program online.”
Professor Joe Tarantowski, who was present at Wednesday’s forum, said that he is hopeful about the potential teaching talent they could find to help teach classes for these affected programs.
“We’re going to do out best to try to get the best people we can,” Tarantowski said. “You’d be surprised at the kind of people who are in the community that we might get a chance to work with.”
Art and Communication students alike voiced concerns about the quality of their education at BW, and the worth of a degree from a school where the program has been cut. They wanted to know, with the absence of many beloved professors, how their education could continue with the same quality as before.
Sutton assured students that he would do everything in his power to maintain the quality of these programs while students are in them, despite them being cut for the future. Sutton said that he would be in consistent communication with faculty members in order to make sure that any new hires are knowledgeable and professional, and that any potential new classes formed are high-quality and tailored to students’ needs.
According to Sutton, just because a degree program is cut at a university, it does not mean that the degree itself is of less value.
Sutton confirmed that there will be flexibility for all affected students, and that faculty and staff will work with them to ensure the quality and completion of their education.
While Sutton maintained that BW would be able to provide students with a quality remainder to their education, he also said that he was not telling students either to stay at BW or to leave BW, but rather that he would work to serve students either way.
“I personally want what’s best for you,” Sutton said. “You have to make your own decisions, because we are here to serve you as students in this circumstance.”
