Former Director of Programs speaks up about the ways the former program helped students
By Elizabeth Smith | Web Editor
Former Director of Programs, Lisa Hibl, was laid off in May after years of service to USM’s long-standing Russell Scholars program. The student-oriented campus program was discontinued after rising university expenses led to the Executive Staff’s decision to implement budget cuts. The layoffs have left faculty questioning their job security and students wondering if other student-focused programs will prevail.
On May 14, USM President Jacqueline Edmonson issued a letter announcing the discontinuation of the Russell Scholars program. This long-standing program provided support, academic mentoring, and educational resources to new and transfer students at the university. The President’s Executive Staff cut the program to make room in the fiscal budget for other campus initiatives that align more with the university’s long-term goals, the President says.
The discontinuation of the program resulted in other staff layoffs as well, including termination of the assistant director and administrator positions.
Former Director Hibl fondly recalls the good that Russell Scholars did for the students it served: “Russell Scholars was a long-standing academic learning community [that offered a] warm welcome to campus and college through a selection of high-impact Core Curriculum classes, living-learning experiences, and a dedicated physical space on the Gorham campus where students could live together and take some classes in the same dormitory.”
Despite the short notice, Hibl is optimistic about the futures of former program participants: “I’d like to say to the students I met and worked with through RSP: I remember you, I wish you well, and I thank you for your willingness to engage in this very special program.”
Hibl has little to say about her own career fears going forward. Her only concern lies in the students she was made to leave behind.
In her final salutation to students, Hibl says: “It was a privilege to [have worked] with students and supported their college journey. I am grateful to have had this opportunity.”
The decision to cut the program was made without the consultation of the Faculty Senate, a move that cultivated frustration among faculty and staff. The hasty decision was prompted by the University’s budget crisis, which has been ongoing since construction of the new campus buildings began.
Remaining faculty feel they narrowly escaped termination, a fear that some have faced daily since the Russell Scholars program disbanded. As budgeting remains an issue at USM, the potential for future layoffs becomes an acute reality.