Dear USM,
I am shocked and appalled at the level of disrespect you have shown your students and the fine educators of this institution, without whom you would not have a school. I have stayed at USM because the faculty have always shown nothing but support and compassion to me and my peers and now they are being treated as though they are the root of the problem at this institution. The administration has time and again decided to implement cuts and rules to save money and none of it has worked and now they are turning on their faculty and it’s ridiculous.
I sat back as tuition rose, the buildings became so decrepit that windows FALL OUT of walls in dorm rooms and the food became so bad it makes me ill to eat it. (This is all while paying approx. $1100 a month for room and board). But now that cutting faculty, classes and degree programs hasn’t worked, they’ve decided to cut faculty, classes and degree programs to make up for the shortfall and, according to one professor, while they are doing this they are claiming that “USM professors and staff, are the reason USM has bad PR because we are vocal about what is happening to USM and ought to be silent”.
I am beyond livid with the way these budget cuts are being handled and the way the faculty is being treated. It’s not the faculty’s fault that we dumped thousands of dollars into misspelt and incorrect signs last summer. Or that the basketball coach’s salary and cutting 26 faculty positions just last Spring apparently hasn’t helped. The reality is that the only thing right with this school is the faculty. They seem to be the only people left who care about the students earning an education. Maybe the administration just hasn’t been alerted that we are paying to be educated, not to have pretty classrooms and a better basketball team. We are paying for an education and, if they would be so kind as to give it to us, everyone just might end up content.
Ashley Rood is a senior theater major.