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About the College Features An open letter to undergraduates in the College of Letters & Science, Fall 2009
About the College Features An open letter to undergraduates in the College of Letters & Science, Fall 2009
| An open letter to undergraduates in the College of Letters & Science, Fall 2009 | | Print | |
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(Santa Barbara, Sept. 18, 2009) As the Deans overseeing the College of Letters and Science, we write to welcome you back to campus and to look ahead to the 2009-10 academic year, which will have both challenges and opportunities. You are no doubt aware that it has been a tumultuous summer for the University of California. In June, the Governor and the State Legislature reduced the University of California budget by 20%. Our campus’ share of this reduction amounts to between $40 million and $45 million. This follows a reduction of $16 million in the UCSB permanent budget in 2008-09, which followed more than five years of budget reductions. The 20% reduction is unprecedented in its magnitude and in the brief amount of time in which it must be absorbed. University of California President Mark Yudof declared a fiscal emergency and imposed a mandatory furlough on faculty and staff, resulting in pay cuts of 4% to 10%. Student fees have been increased. The funds generated by the pay reductions and fee increases make up less than half of the expected funding shortfall. Although the campus has tried to rely on attrition and a voluntary separation program to avoid staff layoffs, additional layoffs have become necessary. In making the difficult decisions about how to reduce the budget, UC Santa Barbara has identified teaching and research as its two highest priorities. Teaching and research are what make the University of California a great public university. The undergraduate liberal arts education that exemplifies the College of Letters and Science prepares students for a wide variety of careers, while providing them with the knowledge and the skills of critical thinking, communication, and expression that will allow them to participate in society as informed and engaged citizens. Internationally-recognized scholars and artists teach undergraduate and graduate students and advance their fields with innovative research, publications, and creative activity that both transmit essential knowledge and map new fields of study. Some 43% of UC Santa Barbara seniors have reported that they participated in faculty research or creative projects. Faculty and graduate student research enriches the education of undergraduates as well as the State of California. Unfortunately, despite the campus’ efforts to prioritize instruction, students will feel the impact of the severe budget reductions. Faculty will teach more students in larger classes and grade more papers and exams, but it is impossible to absorb such major cuts without reducing the number of classes, sections, and labs. There are fewer teaching assistants; some lecturers offering instruction in core areas have had their positions reduced or eliminated; many faculty who have retired have not been replaced. All of this will reduce the number and availability of courses. Some students will find it more difficult to enroll in certain classes, including classes needed to fill major and General Education requirements. This economy of scarcity is compounded by the fact that UC Santa Barbara is over-enrolled for the second year in a row, despite efforts to admit fewer students; the state has refused to provide funding for hundreds of additional students. Staff layoffs and unfilled staff positions will reduce support services. Despite the dedication of the faculty, teaching assistants, staff, and campus administration to our educational mission, the state’s sudden withdrawal of core support from the campus will cause both inconvenience and hardship. Some unavoidable measures—increasing class size, decreasing the number of sections and labs, faculty furlough days—inevitably will diminish quality, despite our best efforts. We have taken several steps to help students in the challenging year ahead:
 The College of Letters and Science is also launching during the 2009-10 year an exciting Instructional Technology Enhancement Initiative which will directly benefit students in many ways. Once this program is in place, students will be able to utilize course management systems such as GauchoSpace, with on-line course materials and pedagogical tools, and take advantage of cutting-edge instructional technologies utilizing remote access and mobile technologies.
More details and information will follow as plans are developed and phased in. We have had extensive consultations with students, and students are well-represented on the advisory committee that will develop, implement, and assess the L&S Instructional Technology Enhancement Initiative. In the meantime, as you begin the 2009-10 academic year, we ask for your understanding and patience as we try to cope with the very difficult situation that has been forced upon us. We make the following suggestions and requests:
The College of Letters and Science offers 80 majors and 38 minors. Most business and industry leaders and professional schools agree that in preparing for a job or a profession a strong liberal arts education is more important than any particular major. You may need to acquire certain skills, training, or pre-requisites to achieve your goals (consult faculty and Academic Advisors if you need advice about this) but many more majors than you might imagine offer excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers and professional schools. Law schools are filled with students who majored in Classics, Comparative Literature, History, Black Studies, and Feminist Studies, as well as Sociology and Political Science. Almost 25% of the students admitted to Harvard Medical School did not major in science as undergraduates. Many of the most interesting subjects that you can study at UCSB are not taught in high schools. Expand your horizons in taking courses and choosing majors. We need your understanding and your help. During the 2009-10 academic year, UCSB students, faculty, and staff will be struggling to carry out our common instructional and research missions with dramatically-reduced resources. Beyond our campus, the future of the University of California as a great public research university is at stake. We urge you and your families to convey your concern to your elected representatives. As a great public university, the University of California is dedicated to excellence and diversity, to meritocracy and accessibility, to the advancement of both learning and the public good. Many of our students have parents who are UC graduates; many of our students are the first in their families to attend college. We are proud of our students, who consistently display both academic excellence and civic engagement. The quality of our faculty rivals any private university. Despite this adversity, we still have great confidence in the quality and value of a UCSB education. We will do everything we can to preserve the vision of a first-rate university education that is accessible to any qualified student in California. Thank you. David Marshall, Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts and Executive Dean Melvin Oliver, Dean of Social Sciences Pierre Wiltzius, Dean of Science Mary Nisbet, Acting Dean of Undergraduate Education |