In recent weeks students, faculty and staff have been working through the most recent impacts of cuts resulting from New Hampshire’s multi-million dollar budget cut to the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) that occurred over the summer. In a conversation with Melinda Treadwell, former president of Keene State College, it was confirmed that the anticipated cuts to faculty and staff were as follows: 12 faculty offered a separation incentive package (SIP) with a 40 percent backfill on those positions and 18 staff to be laid off with backfill for three positions.
According to sources familiar with communications with faculty, Birx has shifted rhetorically from Treadwell regarding the approach toward staff and faculty cuts, as acknowledged in email correspondences obtained by The Equinox. The emails state Birx has become reluctant to backfill any faculty positions, with further cuts not ruled out and has ruled out backfilling staff positions. As reported by The Keene Sentinel, the number of staff cuts has reached 25; 17 staff members have been laid off and eight vacant positions will not be filled.
Eight out of 10 faculty are confirmed as leaving according to unnamed sources knowledgeable of the matter: Environmental Science Department Chair Sasha Davis, Director of the Morris-August Honors program and Political Science Professor Phil Barker, three business management professors: Marie Duggan, Management Chair Dave Beaudry and Tammy Warner, History Chair Graham Warder and Professor Matthew Crocker, Education Professor John Sturtz, Music Professor Dan Carberg and Modern Languages and Cultures Chair Lisa DiGiovanni.
Barker and Duggan confirmed their departure with posts on their public LinkedIn profiles.
According to sources close to the matter, Warder and Crocker will be returning for the spring semester as professor emeriti and Barker will be leaving at the end of spring semester.
Honors students who were enrolled in Davis’s global engagement course were informed they have the option to be re-enrolled in Barker’s course.
According to an email obtained by The Equinox from sources familiar with Keene State College Education Association talks, “[Birx] also expressed reservations about backfilling any departing faculty lines given the lingering deficit. In his view, after eight years of deficits at KSC, the Board of Trustees will not tolerate another. If a balanced budget cannot be reached this year, Birx suggested that the Board will take drastic action including consolidating campuses or closing Keene State.”
In a separate email obtained by The Equinox, it was stated that Birx has been concerned about whether or not USNH sees Keene State as strong enough to stand alone and that reworking of KSC’s mission and structure is critical to its continued existence. Birx is to have suggested that Keene State “de-emphasize” its liberal arts mission and focus on what he calls “applied programs.”
The Equinox will release more information as the situation continues to develop.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
