OP-ED: Whitman proposes deep cuts to humanities, arts and languages
February 9, 2021
This week, news was shared with a number of alumni about a recent proposal to generate budget savings through deep cuts to academic programs at Whitman. The proposal was created in response to a crisis in College finances brought on by COVID-19. Among the proposed cuts are six tenure-line positions in Classics, Environmental Humanities, History, Japanese, Mathematics and Statistics and Philosophy that will be eliminated after professors retire. Non-tenure-line positions in numerous other disciplines would also be cut, including Studio Art, Art History and Visual Culture Studies, Biology, Chinese, French, Japanese, Music, Politics, and Theater and Dance. Some adjunct faculty will not get their contracts renewed, while others will see their positions reduced. 68 percent of the faculty cuts are to the humanities and arts, and the cuts amount to 13.7 percent of the total humanities and arts faculty. Languages are taking a particularly big hit, with the proposed elimination of 24 percent of the total language faculty leading to the likely losses of the Classics, Chinese and Japanese majors. The future of the Environmental Humanities major will also be uncertain.
These cuts were developed by a Financial Sustainability Review committee and have blindsided the Faculty. They go against Whitman’s stated Strategic Priorities and violate the principle of shared governance, which gives the Faculty control over the curriculum. Last year, the Faculty were in the process of voting to strengthen the role of language study and environmental literacy in the General Education program. Some of the positions being cut, held by beloved retiring professors, are ones the Faculty previously identified as top priorities for hiring. The cuts also fall heavily on academics rather than on non-academic offices and programs in the College. Some of the proposed cuts, like the reduction of Classics faculty leading to the elimination of Latin and Greek language instruction and the major, are out-of-step with peer institutions. Others, like the loss of Don Snow’s position in Environmental Humanities after his retirement, will throw into doubt the future of a signature Whitman program.
More broadly, cutting nearly one seventh of the humanities and arts faculty will alter the future direction of the College. While crafted in response to the current crisis, the proposed changes will last far beyond it. President Murray communicated that the positions lost this year are unlikely to be reinstated in future years. They thus constitute a long-term shift in resources away from the arts and humanities.
Before the College embarks on such a significant change of course, it could stand to reflect on the value of the humanities, arts and languages at Whitman and in the world. However, the administration has indicated that it has no interest in doing this. The President and the Board of Trustees have given a deadline of February 15 to submit feedback on these proposed cuts. That said, some reflection on the value of the humanities and arts might be in order. The last few years have been tumultuous, and many of the problems we face are precisely what the humanities and arts are primed to address. Confronting political crises and fake news and working for social justice all require the creative, critical thinking that is developed in the very departments being cut. Language study and the intercultural awareness it facilitates are crucial to living in a multicultural, globalized world. As a liberal arts college, Whitman is the place for the in-depth study of the arts and humanities. A robust humanities faculty is one of the hallmarks of a Whitman education. In proceeding with these cuts, Whitman is jeopardizing not only its status as a liberal arts college, but also its mission of preparing students for lives of purpose.
Students and alumni who wish to speak up about these changes or the way they are taking place are encouraged to send their feedback (in separate emails) to President Murray, Professor Barry Balof and Professor Sharon Alker by February 15. Share your personal experience with any of the affected disciplines. Why is the discipline important to you? How did it shape your Whitman experience? Did it influence your decision to attend Whitman? How has it prepared you for life after Whitman?
Financial sustainability is essential to the continuing existence of Whitman College, but so are the arts and humanities. These cuts will transform the nature of the College, but they are not set in stone yet. As an alumni of the Divest Whitman campaign that successfully persuaded the College to divest its endowment of fossil fuel holdings, I know that when there is a groundswell of community sentiment on an issue, the College listens. Make your voice heard while there is still time. Speak up for the humanities, arts and languages at Whitman.
In solidarity with Whitties past, present and future,
Henry Allen
Class of 2015
Eleusia • Jun 18, 2021 at 7:13 am
While I never attended Whitman College, it was still part of my educational experience. I grew up in Walla Walla, and one of the then few highlights of living in such an isolated community was to attend Whitman events that were open to the public, including plays at the Black Box Theatre and performances at Cordiner Hall. A requirement of my senior high school AP English course was that we attend 8 cultural events in the area, and every one of mine involved something at Whitman. Indeed, it was events such as these that opened my eyes to the larger world around me, and in part influenced my decision to earn my bachelor’s degree abroad. I am now an English professor and dean of an Honors College at a regional institution located in a rural setting similar to Whitman’s, and I share with all of my students the experiences I have had–including those I had at Whitman–as a way to encourage them to broaden their perspectives on life and develop a deeper understanding of other cultures (and so, of their own). I understand budget cuts–every institution of higher education is experiencing them right now–but it is shameful that Whitman’s administrators would categorically destroy their Humanities program as a knee-jerk reaction to COVID. It is short-sighted and ill-informed. Several people have posted excellent suggestions here: please, Whitman, consider them.
Jean Kennan Ferguson • Feb 28, 2021 at 4:28 pm
I am shocked to hear about the humanities cuts at Whitman. I know I chose Whitman for its liberal arts
and it’s emphasis on thinking and writing. I can’t believe the alumnae are just now hearing about this disproportionate cut for the very areas that has made Whitman’s reputation.
I am especially shocked that tenure track positions in these areas will be eliminated, a way to kill the academic excellence of faculty who would never choose Whitman after the start of their careers. What are these leaders doing.? Where is the presidential leadership that should be sheltering our past and future during a temporary pandemic crisis , serious as it is?
My whole life was changed by the inspiration of my Philosophy, English, History, and Religion professors. Though I had 2 successful careers in Education and Psychology, which were terrible departments at Whitman in my day, I could think and write and go on for 25 years in each area by getting graduate degrees in each one. I also learned the love of lifetime learning.
Guess those of us still thinking of placing large gifts to Whitman in our wills will wait to see if our school
Is going to shoot themselves in the foot and limp along as just another small minor “liberal arts” college.
Gary Zhang 2017 • Feb 18, 2021 at 12:42 pm
@A
Whitman needs more attractions for the rich chumps funding STEM content. If the non-STEM isn’t competitive enough, there’s no way to keep full-tuition applicants here, so no way to get their money.
Walla Walla isn’t Seattle, and there’s not much to offer people who will go to UW for STEM one way or another,
JH • Feb 17, 2021 at 8:22 am
When at Whitman I was often made aware of the strong financial status of our college. Particularly the strength of the Endowment was referenced. My question is why is Whitman in this current state? We all have been affected by COVID, but to say these Humanities and Art are not only being cut, they are unlikely to ever return. Those are the programs that highlight a Liberal Arts education. It seems theses declines must reflect on the management of the college the last few years and the current president has not been an asset.
A • Feb 16, 2021 at 11:07 am
I think all alumni agree that what make Whitman special is the well rounded and balanced education that is provided by the college.
As a counter point to previous commentators I would argue that Whitman had fallen behind in providing
a balanced education, particularly in the STEM fields. I graduated in ’02 and felt the core liberal arts, math, and science curriculum was very strong. This gave me a solid foundation to pursue graduate school in science and engineering. However, there was a giant hole in my education that I filled in on my own. The number of my fellow alumni that are oblivious to basic computer science is staggering. Balance in education must include computer science and STEM basics in today’s world.
No one wants to cut programs that are beloved but if a tough decision needs made the future of Whitman needs to include more STEM not less.
Karen Nelson Howe • Feb 15, 2021 at 5:10 pm
I looked in vain for a Zoom link for alumni to comment on proposed budget cuts like the ones for students, staff, and faculty. The February newsletter held no hint that changes like this are being discussed.
When I went to Whitman, every student had to be able to pass a basic swim test. It was considered a valuable life skill. I think every student should take Beginning Acting for the same reason. You learn to think on your feet and be present in the moment. If someone makes a mistake on stage, you learn to mitigate in real time. By becoming someone else in a role, you learn empathy by walking in their footsteps.
I was able to translate my drama degree into a career in high tech marketing. Through my history courses I learned how to research an issue and write a coherent argument. And through my drama classes I found I could talk to anyone — which is a huge asset for anyone in sales.
This is the wrong direction for Whitman.
E H • Feb 15, 2021 at 11:22 am
Honestly, if Whitman makes these cuts this will be detrimental to the value of their liberal arts education. I can’t believe this has even been proposed.
If folks want to email, here are their addresses:
Kathleen M. Murray
Whitman President
[email protected]
Barry Balof
Professor
[email protected]
Sharon Alker
Professor
[email protected]
Wilhelmina Van Krieken • Feb 14, 2021 at 11:15 pm
This is frightening. I was a biology major but the liberal arts part of my education have been vital in my life since Whitman. I have navigated many diverse situations grounded in what I learned besides “Biology”.. This ability to flex, explore, pivot, understand, diversify, empathize, understand, know, reason would have been lacking without the humanities courses I took at Whitman. Take the path less chosen, the high road, don’t fear the unknown but go forward anyway,,don’t always conform.. We’ll be OK. Money and practicality are dead end bywords.
Gary Zhang 2017 • Feb 14, 2021 at 9:34 pm
What kind of advantage will this cut bring? High-speed-low-drag isn’t a praise these days. Does anyone want Whitman to be a mediocre medical and physics prep school in a valley nobody ever heard of? Whitman has hardly a community to fall back onto outside Walla Walla, and if the departments are cut, then it would have even less ties to the Chinese and Japanese populations of the Pacific Northwest.
How long would it take for Whitman to climb back to #2 on Forbes, which happened in 2018?
Jennifer (Walsh) Bowman class of 1992 • Feb 14, 2021 at 6:19 pm
I am shocked and saddened by this proposed cuts to the arts and humanities. I was a music major at Whitman and went on to study at Juilliard and have enjoyed a multi-faceted career in music. It was precisely the interaction with students from all of the different majors that both made Whitman a unique experience and helped ME interact with non-musicians and help my career (donors, businesspeople, investors, etc.).
During the pandemic, what has gotten us through it? Arts, literature, humanities and music. We are expressing our feelings as never before. And we NEED ways to express ourselves regardless if the arts are our profession or not.
I sincerely hope that the board of trustees and Whitman admin thinks twice before chopping out the very essence of the Whitman Experience. As a parent I am willing to invest in a Liberal Arts education, but only if there are actually Liberal Arts!
Thanks for considering my point of view.
Susan Rits • Feb 14, 2021 at 6:35 am
I was an art and anthropology major at Whitman (‘85) and that grounding in arts and humanities lead me to a career in the forefront of software design and user experience research and design.
When I was at Whitman these disciplines didn’t exist but because of my interesting combination of humanities and the arts I was able to lead the way in my profession. Sometimes it’s not readily apparent how a discipline can become a career, but that’s where we in the humanities and arts excel. In our ability to create something new where nothing had existed before. Remember, Steve Jobs was a humanities major.
It would be a shame to deny future Whitties that opportunity.
Kristen L • Feb 13, 2021 at 8:32 pm
This is total BS. If you’re going to remain a liberal arts college, you have to offer students a well rounded education that INCLUDES THE ARTS!!! I was an art history major. It happened randomly, by chance. I always thought art was boring but the intro art history class I took my sophomore year opened my mind to a different way of thinking about art, society, politics, history, and the world. It was love at first class. Of course I went to grad school a year after graduating from Whitman (class of ‘03) in early childhood education and I’ve been a teacher since 2005, currently in kindergarten. I actually have used my knowledge of art history to teach my young students about art but, as many Whitman students have said before me, my Whitman education taught me how to think and how to write and those skills can be applied in any realm. I hope that the decision makers, I’m lookin at you Kathleen, will remember the essence of what Whitman is and focus on that, instead of what is currently sexy. Whitman is so much more than that! At least it should be.
Molly Kibbey Summerloght • Feb 13, 2021 at 12:10 pm
P.S.
A few of the drama majors, during my time at Whitman, who have done very well in their profession due, in great part, to their Whitman experience.
Patrick Page class of 1985
https://youtu.be/R5KOfcpNEd4
Dan Donahue
Class of 1988
Erika Rolfsrud
Class of 1990, I believe.
John Moe
Class of 1990
There are many others, these are a few who stand out from the years I was at Whitman. I am still in contact with these folks, 32 years later.
Molly Kibbey Summerlight
’88
Molly Kibbey Summerlight class of 1988 • Feb 13, 2021 at 11:37 am
The arts and languages were a huge part of my Whitman experience! I was a drama major with an art minor. I took 2 years of Japanese when it was a new subject at Whitman. One of my dorm mates was taking Japanese and loving it. I decided to try it out the next semester. I also loved it. I would’ve continued to take more except that it conflicted with a class in my major that only happened every 2 years.
Although I did not continue in theater as my.proffesion, it has had a profound impact on my adult life. I stage managed several productions, Quilters was the first of 6, I believe, and even won Stage Manager of the year 2 years in a row. This has helped me in my adult life when I have been a manager in 2 of my jobs.
Before COVID-19 I have had an annual subscription to a local theater, Oregon Contemporary Theater for over 10 years. So many of these productions have exposed me to somebody’s story that I had not been aware of previously.
Next Fall
How the world Began
August: Osage County
Who am I this time
Clybourne Park
A bright new Boise
The last 5 years
Silent Sky
Buried Child
Hand to God
Fun Home
At home at the Zoo
Good People
The Cake
And so many more. A peek at someone else’s life that is very different.from my.own experience. This, to me, is one way we come together and are not so divided.
Languages, also, are another way we come together. Learning Japanese was a way to help me become interested in another country and culture. I studied French in high school which, likewise, did the same thing.
It does not help ourselves or our country come together by being so ego-centric so as not to be willing nor exposed to other people’s lives.
Please do not radically cut the arts/languages at Whitman.
Molly Kibbey Summerlight
Class of 1988
Raymond Goerig • Feb 13, 2021 at 9:52 am
In my opinion, the Financial Sustainability Review Committee is wrong in two parts. 1.) They violate the rules of faculty control of the curriculum. 2.) They are guilty of the sin of ingratitude for the arts and humanities, a force of attraction for Whitman. Recall that according to Dante, the ninth circle of Hell is reserved for the sinners of ingratitude. They have drawn a line at what truly matters to us as human beings: the deep questions about who we are, where we came from, and how we define the meaning and purpose of our lives. We learn about these universal values through the arts, humanities and the study of a 2nd or 3rd language. A more just alternate would be to cut a certain percentage across ALL departments and to require a satisfactory pay cut for all managers, administrators, the Review Committee and even the president.
Cynthia Simpson • Feb 13, 2021 at 9:28 am
This seems shortsighted to me. The purpose of a Liberal Arts
Is a well rounded education. The Board is proposing to eliminate many of the programs that make Whitman great .
The Theater program is one of the best. I ended up working in that field even though that was not my initial goal when I came to Whitman. I was interested in becoming a teacher.
I ended up majoring in Music and earned my teaching certificate at PSU after I graduated. I have had a career in HR for many years.
The last 18 years I have been the HR Director at Northwest Children’s Theater & School in Portlsnd, OR. I credit Jack Freimann, one of the most inspirational teachers I have ever had, for the confidence I have to work in a theater. My job has encompassed all parts of working in the theater, including being in some of the productions, obtaining royalties, doing financials, working with a team of managers, hiring etc.
His Play Production class ended up being one of the most important classes I took at Whitman. I kept in contact with him and I know he was proud of what I was doing .
Please rethink your priorities. Times are changing and we need to become a kinder, wiser, more democratic society.
The Arts, the Environment, the Classics, Languages, Math, are all subjects that should be taught at Whitman.
Thank you!
Cynthia Cleary Simpson ‘75’
Regina Daniels Butler • Feb 13, 2021 at 7:06 am
I am shocked by the news that possibly 68% of the faculty cuts will be in the humanities and arts. In my mind these programs have always spoken to the values of Whitman and have been a hallmark of its excellence. Its disappointing and if this happens, I will believe that the institution that helped to shape me as an award winning public school teacher who wrote a play about protecting salmon and directed about 70 students in this production, will cut future Whitman students off from opportunities that gave me the background to engage my young learners and their audience in this arts experience. I even meet with a weekly Zoom Whitman theater group. We discuss our years in the theater at Whitman as well as world events, our own lives, the arts, and a range of topics. Our years at the Harper Joy Theater were remarkable and still shape our lives, no matter what our profession. My Whitman degree with my Dramatic Arts major set me apart from hundreds of candidates when I applied for a teaching position. The district Superintendent said he hired me because with my Whitman degree I rose above all other candidates. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. Please retain a strong focus on the Arts and Humanities curriculum at Whitman. The students and our future world need them. Thanks. Regina