You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Scores of faculty members and students at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point are seeking the ouster of Chancellor Bernie Patterson and Provost Greg Summers over their plan to restructure the university and eliminate majors, according to the Journal-Sentinel. Professors and students held a news conference on campus Thursday criticizing Patterson and Summers and sent a letter to the university system’s Board of Regents saying that the chancellor and provost “cannot steer us effectively through our current crisis, or the challenging years ahead.”
In a revised plan to address declining enrollments and a budget shortfall and to create a “new kind of regional university,” Patterson and Summers recently proposed eliminating a half dozen humanities majors to create more “career-focused” paths for students. Layoffs are possible. Professors continue to doubt whether the new plan will help their ongoing problems, which some attribute to Patterson’s management. Patterson reportedly said in response to the no-confidence letter that “steps taken thus far may not have been noticed by everyone on campus because our goal has always been to minimize the impact on our academic programs.”