University of Toledo Students Reject Dismantling of College of Arts & Sciences- Updated!
This in via email:
University of Toledo Students Reject Dismantling of College of Arts & Sciences
Students fight back against Lloyd Jacobs’ assault on their school’s liberal arts tradition
Toledo, OH – Since assuming the presidency of the University of Toledo following its merger with the Medical University of Ohio, Dr. Lloyd Jacobs has waged war on the university’s liberal arts tradition. Today, Tuesday, May 6th, students of the College of Arts & Science will voice their opposition to the Jacobs agenda at a press conference at 3:45 P.M. at the Health Education building, Health Science Campus Lot 42.
“Jacobs has waged an assault on our college ever since he took office,” says Chad Olsen, a Sociology major. “Students will not stand idly by while our programs are dismantled.”
Under Jacobs, Arts & Sciences Dean Yueh-Ting Lee has pursued a restructuring of the College that has met with strong opposition from students and faculty alike. These proposed changes have included consolidating Sociology and Economics into one department and Philosophy and History into another. Students and educators in the college view this as an attempt to weaken faculty and eviscerate long-standing academic programs. Lee’s efforts recently earned him a vote of “No Confidence” from the College of Arts & Sciences faculty.
Efforts by students and faculty to get straight answers out of their administration have been met with hostility and obfuscation.
“Enough stonewalling,” says art major Meg Sciarini.(Sha-rini) “It is time for Lloyd Jacobs to honestly address the reasonable concerns of students and faculty.”
Following the press conference, students will attend a Town Hall Meeting being hosted by Jacobs at the Health Education Building and demand that their concerns be addressed.
What: Press Conference by University of Toledo Arts & Sciences Students
Where: Health Education Building, Health Science Campus Lot 42
When: Today, Tuesday, May 6th, 2008, 3:45 P.M. (prior to 4 P.M. Town Hall Meeting with UT President Lloyd Jacobs)
Updated: Media Coverage from today:
This sounds like it’s related to Chancellor Fingerhut’s “10 year plan” for higher education in Ohio
http://regents.ohio.gov/news/press_releases/2008/OBRPressRel31March08.pdf
May 6th, 2008 at 1:38 pmTLC:
While Fingerhut’s plan continues the regrettable Ohio emphasis on eliminating so-called “duplicate” programs and underfunding higher education, Dr. Jacobs is quickly gaining a reputation around campus as a highly-paid hatchet man whose primary aim is to bleed the humanities in favor of STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine).
Kudos to those students who took the time and demonstrated the courage to speak out today. Unfortunately, Dr. Jacobs scheduled his town hall after finals, and most of the students have already left campus.
BTW – here is an online petition spelling out some of the aforementioned concerns in greater detail. While the petition obviously carries no official weight, at the very least any efforts to weaken or cannibalize UT’s College of Arts and Sciences will not occur without protest.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:49 pmi wasn’t saying it was a good thing…i was merely pointing out that it sounded a lot like the “10 year plan”.
they are talking about the same things down at BGSU.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:25 pmThank you for the kudos, and I believe that the regent from the state will be coming to discuss the 10 year plan on June 17 in toledo and you can bet that the students will also be attending that. It would be great to get some BGSU kids up there too since this effects the whole state.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:37 pm