Faculty in SAS to talk about cuts

School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens will address faculty members' concerns about her proposal to reorganize SAS at a school-wide faculty meeting today. The meeting, at 4:30 p.m. in Stiteler Hall room B-6, will be Stevens' first public response to concerns about her decision to cut the American Civilization, Regional Science and Religious Studies departments. Stevens has proposed to replace the Am Civ and Religious Studies departments with interdisciplinary programs similar to those in place for Biological Basis of Behavior and International Relations. Faculty members said they plan to question the process the dean used to reach her decision at the meeting. But no faculty vote will be taken on the issue. "We're hoping that the issue of how these decisions were made without any consultation can be discussed in the open rather than in private, like has been going on for the past three weeks," Religious Studies Chairperson Ann Matter said. Stevens said attendance at faculty meetings has traditionally been low, but added she hopes many faculty members will attend the meeting – the first of the year. "This is an opportunity for discussions about actions that affect departments and the school as a whole," she said. Stevens also will announce her decisions on departmental faculty requests and discuss her recently-proposed strategic plan for the 21st century. New departmental faculty will also be introduced at the meeting. Regional Science Chairperson Stephen Gale said he does not think anything will come out of today's meeting. "By and large, in public meetings like this, what you get is a modest discussion of what some of the reasons might have been," Gale said. He added that faculty members tend to hold issues "close to their vests," saving heated discussions for private meetings. Response to Stevens' proposal to "streamline" the educational structure of the school has been overwhelmingly negative. Letters from faculty members in similar departments around the country to the ones affected have been streaming in to Interim President Claire Fagin and Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson's office. Faculty in each of the affected departments have also written letters to Almanac explaining their reservations. Fagin, who must make a recommendation about the proposal before University Trustees vote on it, said she has not arrived at a decision. She added it would be "premature" to comment on the plan until it is reviewed by SAS faculty and Lazerson. Fagin said letters sent to her office will be taken seriously, but she added they should have been addressed to Stevens, who formulated the proposal. Fagin will not attend today's meeting. Donald Langenberg, chancellor of the University of Maryland system and chairperson of the University Trustee's Academic Policy and Planning Committee, said his committee will not take action on the proposal at the Trustees' meeting this week. He said the earliest time a vote could be taken is in January – at the Trustee's next meeting – once Trustees have the opportunity to review the proposals. Matter said the prospect of changes in Stevens' proposal depends on the mindset of the deans – Stevens and Associate Deans Richard Beeman, Frank Warner and Matthew Santirocco. "I think that the change will have to be in the mind and the heart of the deans," Matter said. "I hope the faculty meeting will convince them that their faculty have serious concerns about their proposals." Stevens said she hopes everyone has a chance to speak at the meeting, adding she has been listening to faculty members' concerns since she submitted her proposals three weeks ago. Stevens hopes a clear presentation of the recommendations goals and rationales will reassure faculty members that the action is necessary. "I think change is difficult for everyone who is concerned to accept," she said. "I really think, though, that change is going to work well."