During the month of February, Andrea Ramirez, Director of Student Activities and adviser to ASWC, worked every single day, including weekends.  

“[I’m] here not just 8-5 but on the weekends and in the evenings as well,” said Ramirez.  

Due to the number of programs put on by ASWC and clubs that required her assistance Ramirez worked every weekend.

VOICES
“The move to not fill the position shows an extreme lack of foresight
from the administration. Sure this is a tough economy and everyone
has to make cuts, but the role Andrea (and George her predecessor)
plays on this campus is invaluable to students…I am not exaggerating
in saying that I frankly don’t know what the future of this campus will
look like without her, or without anyone else in her role.”
––Nadim Damluji, ’10, ASWC Senator
“Needless to say things will be changing in Student Activities. I
understand that the college will not be filling this position however,
I feel that they are lessening opportunities to students by reducing their
support in leadership positions as well as decreasing the effectiveness
of student programming.”
––Kali Stoehr, ’10, CAB Chair

“Andrea has been a guiding light to this organization for some time,” said ASWC Vice President and Chairman of Student Affairs Roman Goerss.

Ramirez, who has filled the Director of Student Activities role for the past year, will not return next semester due to personal reasons.  

The Whitman administration, feeling pressure to reduce operating costs, has chosen to postpone the start of the search to fill the director position.   The postponement of this search was not included in President George Bridges Feb. 19 letter to the community which cited that the College would be reducing staff levels by five full time equivalencies.

“It would be a substantial blow to student life on campus on a very basic level for that position to go away,” Goerss said.

The decision to postpone the search was made by the College’s budget officers.   According to ASWC Finance Chair David Changa-Moon none of ASWC’s Executive Council members were consulted in the decision, despite the significant impact the position loss is expected to have on student activities and the operations of ASWC.

“There will be less that students can do and less that the students activities office can do,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Leann White.

Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland, one of the College’s budget officers, met with the Executive Council on Monday, Mar. 2 to discuss the search’s postponement.   During the meeting he emphasized that many decisions regarding how the position’s duties will be fulfilled have not been made.  

Cleveland and the associate deans have started meeting weekly on Thursdays to discuss how to manage the budget cuts, including the Director of Student Activities role.   Their first meeting was last week.

“The first meeting was all over the map,” Cleveland said. “It was the first time that the reality [of the budget cuts] had really hit.”  

Another meeting was held this morning, Mar. 5.   Cleveland hoped that it would be more productive than the first.

“I have to get buy in from my staff to do things differently,” said Cleveland regarding his hope that his personnel can come together to work across boundaries and offices to accomplish the necessary duties, such as providing extra assistance to the student activities office.  

The director position fulfills a variety of duties from sitting in on ASWC meetings, meeting with Executive Council members, ensuring clubs have a clear directive and that they are following policy, contracting almost every band, speaker or entertainer that is brought to campus, and helping ASWC to oversee its two full time employees.

 “I’m worried about the absence that this [not filling the Director of Student Activities position] is going to have on students.   I’m actively worried about what the student activities office only being staffed by one person is going to do to ASWC,” said ASWC President Elliot Okantey.

Rachel Stein, ASWC Programming Chair anticipated the effect a reduction in staff would have, saying, “Even if our [ASWC] budget stays the same, if our support staff decreases, then we can’t put on the events without someone to help us through the process.”

David Changa-Moon, ASWC Finance Chair believes that if the position is not filled, ASWC may only be able to host three or four events next year because of the time associated with planning and contracting visitors.

“I’m a little disappointed, I think this a pretty critical position on our campus, and it also facilitates the flow of around $200,000 of services that is provided to student through programs and events,” said Changa-Moon.

“I don’t know how they [the budget officers] weighed the decisions that they made, but I feel as though maybe they didn’t have a full understanding of all the services the director provides, and how many of ASWC’s resources that she helps facilitate to get to students,” he said.

Changa-Moon summed up the Executive Councils sentiments, saying, “The EC is very anxious and nervous about what the future of student services is going to be.   There is also a sense of disappointment, but more of a sense of anxiety about what are we going to do next and how are we going to cover our bases.”