Rocket Nation Recovery Part 50 – UToledo Cutting Degree Programs
Over the past few days Toledo area news outlets have picked up last week’s story about UT “cutting degree programs” press release. See Part 45 post.
Is it true that the UT academic portfolio and course inventory cuts:
- Have virtually no students enrolled in them?
- Have no impact on the upcoming $10-$12M budget cuts?
- Have no impact on faculty and staff headcount reductions?
- Were part of a report prepared in August 2023 but not implemented?
Is it true that the new Provost will still be required to make actual course, budget, and faculty cuts when they start in July 2024?
Is it true that:
- What appears to be newsworthy, is actually just business as usual for a university?
- Universities routinely prune their courses and programs to keep pace with economic, technology, business changes and student preferences?
- UT has done very little pruning of programs as enrollment has declined and society has changed since 2006
Is it possible that:
- These cuts are an illusion created to persuade trustees that all is well and they should vote to approve the new provost next week
- Decision making about programs and courses has been paralyzed for 20-years by a revolving door of three Presidents, nine Provosts and too many Deans to count?
- UT leaders are fearful of making tough decisions about cutting and consolidating courses, programs, and colleges out of fear for their own careers and self-interest?
- This paralyzed decision making has marginalized UT on the world stage and made UT irrelevant to potential students and their families
- This, combined with little to no field based recruiting of high school students in OH, MI and IN has caused the collapse of enrollment and the financial and morale crisis?
If you were a trustee being asked to vote on filling the Provost position next week, making them the highest paid in UT history, would you first want to take a yes/no vote of confidence in UT’s top leader?
Is it ethical to hire a new Provost without 100% confidence in the top leader? What is the probability of the new Provosts success?
As a trustee, is your confidence in UT’s top leader strong enough to place your own money and reputation on the line?
It’s ok to feel uncomfortable in a crisis. Please pray for thoughtful, compassionate accountability and urgent actions to revitalize The Rocket Nation.
You can read all 70 plus posts at www.rocketnetworker.com/rocket-nation-blog
