With around 100 students in attendance, the Student Government Association (SGA) held a special town hall on Dec. 3. The dominant topic was the controversial College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) restructuring.
Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell fielded questions about the CHSS reformation and addressed some misconceptions on the matter with students who attended the forum, including SGA officials and top university administrators.
Addressing the misconceptions, Koppell said the restructuring project will not eliminate the CHSS, emphasizing that the same holds true for academic majors, programs and faculty positions within that school. He added that his administration welcomes continual feedback on the CHSS topic.
Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell arrives at the Dec. 3 town hall meeting to discuss the CHSS restructuring project. Thomas Boud | The Montclarion
“The first thing that I actually need to tell you about what is actually happening is, it’s a process that’s underway that has not yet been concluded,” Koppell said.
Koppell said that as university president, he has a duty to be forthright on the CHSS restructuring, given the rampant speculation regarding the initiative.
“I can’t get up and tell you stuff that is patently false,” Koppell said. “I’m accountable to you. I’m accountable to the board of trustees. I’m accountable ultimately to the public, because this is a public university.”
Koppell said the CHSS rearrangement aims to cut red tape which hinders the creation of interdisciplinary programs, noting the new offerings will attract students by enhancing the CHSS curriculum.
Koppell mentioned university professors have found obstacles to interdepartmental collaboration in a single program.
“What I have heard from the faculty is that the bureaucratic barriers to creating these programs and serving you generally better, are formidable,” Koppell said.
According to Koppell, half of the current CHSS programs have fewer students than they did five years ago. Six CHSS departments have fewer than 100 majors, with one department having a single digit number of majors. Koppell described the decreasing numbers as “not a path that leads to a robust future.”
One of the town hall commenters was Josh Rota-Tebb, a senior political science major. Rota-Tebb shared his perspective of the CHSS restructuring with Koppell.
“The intent behind [the restructuring initiative] leads me to believe that it is more towards the profit motive,” Rota-Tebb asked at the town hall. “When you say words like ‘synergy,’ what guarantees do the students have, institutionally and functionally within this public university, that these departments will be maintained? Because you say that and that’s great, but functional guarantees is what I am looking for as a student.”
Koppell said he took issue with any assumptions regarding his use of the word “synergy.”
President Jonathan Koppell speaks with students at the Dec. 3 town hall meeting. Thomas Boud | The Montclarion
“If you are going to make inferences about my intent, then look at my overall behavior,” Koppell said. “Every single thing I have done as president of this university has been to try and create more opportunities for students to make this a more excellent university that serves our students better. That has been the intent.”
Cristina Freire, a senior history major, also spoke her mind to Koppell.
“My question for you is why is the department being restructured when declining enrollment is the true key concern? Rather than investing in recruitment, investing in public marketing, and investing in public engagement in the humanities?”
Koppell said the CHSS realignment itself is being designed to foster growth in course matriculation.
“I think that the primary objective we have here is to encourage people to enroll in these programs and see the effectiveness of it,” Koppell said.
According to Koppell, the CHSS overhaul matters to all students between its majors, minors and general education classes.
“Look, I don’t have the pockets deep enough to do everything that every school does,” Koppell said. “But this isn’t about money. This is about our willingness to be a little more flexible, to change a little bit. I believe that if we can embrace this change, we can do something that is going to be beneficial to you and that is going to be beneficial to future students.”
The Montclarion is continuously covering the CHSS restructuring.
