President Hill clarifies the College's position on staff reductions in light of economic crisis

In a letter sent out on Dec. 11 at 12:52 p.m. to faculty and students, President Catharine Bond Hill explained the reductions in staffing that have generated some controversy among alumnae/i, faculty and students. She notes toward the end that "Discussions of alternatives are ongoing." A faculty meeting is being held today at 3:15 p.m. Please check back at miscellanynews.com for more information following the meeting. Below is Hill's message in its entirety:

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Dear faculty and students,

As you know, many people on campus, with leadership from the senior 
officers and the board of trustees, have been working to develop a 
responsible and acceptable operating budget for next fiscal year 
within a context of extreme financial constraints.  As I said in my 
letter to the community last month, this work has involved reductions 
in discretionary budget lines in offices and departments and in 
positions in the administration, support staff, and faculty for next 
year.

Over the past few days, several of us in the senior administration 
have received numerous emails from alumnae/i and students who've 
expressed concerns about staffing reductions for next year in the 
English Department and the effects of those reductions on the creative 
writing curriculum.  I would like to clarify the facts about those 
reductions.

Jon Chenette, the Dean of the Faculty, with his staff and in 
consultation with me, has responded to all department and program 
staffing plans submitted for next year with recommendations for course 
section eliminations and team teaching adjustments that reduce the 
faculty salary budget while maintaining as rich a curriculum as 
possible. Our goal has been to recommend course reductions with 
minimal adverse effects on the educational experiences of our 
students. In total for next year we need to achieve salary savings in 
this area of approximately $750,000, which translates into a reduction 
of between 70 and 80 course sections from the total curriculum of 
1,200 course sections being offered this year.

In its staffing plan for next year, the English Department had 
proposed adding 11 course sections over this year's number.  In making 
this request, the department was seeking to maintain current adjunct 
and visiting faculty members' course loads for the coming year.  
Bearing in mind our financial circumstances, we asked the department 
not to increase course sections but rather to reduce them by two below 
the number being taught this year. The number of tenured and tenure-
track English faculty on campus next year is sufficient to support 
this curriculum with a lower level of visiting and adjunct staffing.  
Unfortunately, this means that two adjunct or visiting faculty members 
may not be able to teach in the department next year and others may 
have their loads reduced to the minimum levels specified in their 
contracts. Discussions of alternatives are ongoing.

We consider that a reduction of two course sections relative to the 
existing English curriculum, and the continued presence of a strong 
faculty with diverse backgrounds, among them several creative writers, 
will continue to allow for a robust creative writing curriculum.

The College has always had strong programs in the creative arts. Our 
commitment to the arts as a hallmark of a Vassar education is one we 
will continue to honor as we work through these difficult times.

Catharine Hill
President