Students new and returning opened their inboxes on Aug. 21 to an email from the University of Dallas’s president announcing the leave of some tenured professors and continuing efforts to balance the budget. The implications of these efforts were clarified as students found many departments short on staff and classes, and leadership completely rearranged.
Among the school’s sectors, the history, classics, business, drama and education departments as well as the French program have felt the brunt of the recent budget cuts. Some have had to replace chairs, others shuffle faculty, and all have had to rearrange courses to meet new needs of students and faculty while meeting new budget constraints.
Dr. Anthony Nussmeier, chair of the Modern Languages department and Associate Professor of Italian, explained the recent accommodations made in light of the French director’s departure. He said, “With the departure of Dr. Lewallen, Dr. Ivan Eidt, associate professor of German, has been appointed Interim Director of French. Dr. Irina Rodriguez has also taken on greater responsibilities vis-a-vis French, and among other things is helping supervise French tutors.”
Despite reduced upper level courses and new strain on staff, Nussmeier assured that “[C]urrent declared French majors will be able to complete the major, and we hope to have a full-time French faculty member again very soon.”
In contrast, the business department has been able to add new programs such as a 4+1 financial planning degree and a finance concentration. In addition, the department has taken action to integrate the Center of Rhetoric and Public Speaking with business classes, and by extension, the major and concentrations.
Jude Self, a junior business/drama double major, expressed concerns about recent changes in the College of Business. She said, “I feel that in some classes, students don’t benefit much from teachers with minimal teaching experience, because they don’t know how to get their information across.”
Her other concerns pertained to general developments in the College of Business’ emerging policies on AI. “I see a major disconnect between the [COB] and the [college of liberal arts] in that their AI policies are wildly different […] I believe the [business school] is not proceeding with caution [nor] with the Catholic mindset towards artificial intelligence. I think [the business school’s] stance on artificial intelligence should be no different.”
Professor Kelly Gibson, a specialist in early medieval English history, has taken up the chair of the history department, yet other vacancies have left the department stretched thin to offer upper level courses and West Civ sections. Gibson said, “With Dr. Sullivan’s retirement and Dr. Heyne’s year-long research leave, I am the only European historian on campus — there are fewer upper level European history courses this fall, but I am planning to have a local scholar teach an upper level course on early modern England and Britain in the spring semester.”
She also mentioned that Dr. Petersen’s upcoming research absence will result in no Latin American history elective in the spring, and that history students without an advisor should come to her with a declaration form. She said, “If the most appropriate advisor [for their interests] is currently on research leave, I can still assign them that advisor, and they can work with another advisor temporarily until their advisor returns.”
She closed by explaining that, although fewer sections of West Civ are being offered this fall, the department expects to offer the same number of sections with wider time slot variety in the spring.
The department of education, on the other hand, has not only reduced the number of upper level classes, but also the credit requirements needed to complete the major. Before, the major required 50 credits, but now only requires 30.
Marley Cook, a sophomore education major, specializing in early childhood development (6th grade), noted the frustration faced by upperclassmen in light of these changes. She said, “It seems, along with the changes in the major, they are highly encouraging majors to switch to concentrations. Right now, it seems that the education of students is an afterthought — a major that used to be hearty and thorough now feels rushed and underdone.”
Changes are still ongoing as the faculty works to balance budgetary needs. It is thanks to the great sacrifices of professors that the impact of these changes has been mitigated, allowing students to continue the pursuit of truth and knowledge.