Re-Rad Letter to Family and Friends 2009

This page contains the text of the letter Re-Rad gave out to Family and Friends on the weekend of October 16-18, 2009, as well as sources for all of the claims made in the letter.

Please take a minute to sign on to the Shared Vision Going Forward, if you have not already!


 * http://sharedvision.rerad.org/

The Letter
Dear Family and Friends of Hampshire College,

Re-Rad, the student group dedicated to the re-radicalization of Hampshire College, wants you to be aware of current events. This letter is intended to raise awareness about proposed changes to the college.

President Ralph Hexter and the Board of Trustees have not only proposed sweeping changes to the college, but have begun putting them into place. Some of the changes that have already been implemented include position reductions (a hiring freeze and staff layoffs), temporary elimination of salary increases, and the reduction of department budgets. Other proposed changes include increasing the student to faculty ratio, moving more students off campus, changing the evaluation system, and adding a graduate program.

In a speech open to the entire Hampshire Community, President Hexter said “We are going to have to be cutting the budget for several years. I have to make very fast cuts." In response to a student inquiry about how to give input on what should be cut or changed, he said, “We cannot have people voting on what areas are going to be cut.” He also proposed a faster timetable for such changes; they would normally be implemented in three to five years, but may now be made in as little as two years.

Responding to suggestions from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Board of Trustees has created a Governance Task Force to survey governance issues, study best practices, and make recommendations at the end of this year. Concerned students, including student members of Re-Rad, have suggested that there be equal representation on the Task Force, and are working to accomplish this; however, the Board of Trustees disagrees about the necessity of changing the makeup of the Task Force, and discussions are ongoing. This task force is part of a greater overall process to review and improve Hampshire, along with the soon-to-be-formed Strategic Planning Committee. It is through this process that fundamental changes to the college may be made.

Re-Rad has joined together in publishing a shared vision of the College so that the distinctive spirit of Hampshire College can be retained through the changes to come. As we navigate these difficult financial times, it is imperative that the Hampshire community be guided by this shared vision of the college.

position reductions
There is presently a hiring freeze in place, with certain exceptions, and some staff have been laid off. This was mentioned in President Hexter's speech. (See below.)

temporary elimination of salary increases
Hexter, Ralph. Informational Meeting to discuss the State of the College. Franklin Patterson Main Lecture Hall, Amherst, MA. 11 September 2009.

Re-Rad referred to a videotaped version of this speech to ensure that all quotes were accurate.

reduction of department budgets
Hexter, Ralph. Informational Meeting to discuss the State of the College. Franklin Patterson Main Lecture Hall, Amherst, MA. 11 September 2009.

Re-Rad referred to a videotaped version of this speech to ensure that all quotes were accurate.

increasing the student to faculty ratio
The administration has repeatedly communicated their intentions to expand the size of the student body (whilst not increasing the number of faculty). See Ralph's blog: "The student body is larger — 1800 to 2000 — but the faculty is not proportionally larger".

moving more students off campus
If we intend to increase the student population from its present 1400 to 2000, where are the extra 600 students going to live? We are struggling to pay off millions of dollars in deferred maintenance; do you think we are going to build another dorm soon? This can only mean that more students will be moved off campus.

According to the Housing Operations Office, in Fall 2009 there were 1188 permanent beds for use on campus. 152 students were approved to live off campus. The fall term began with about 64 students living in temporary housing (on campus lounges and Amherst College housing).

changing the evaluation system
Some changes have already been proposed, and are currently in the process of being instituted. This does not presently mean getting rid of narrative evaluations, but it does mean changing evals, making them more like fill-in-the-blanks. See, for example, the letter Alan Goodman and Steve Weisler sent out on Sept 15: "There are also important concerns about our evaluation forms that must be addressed. Although most colleges that are truly student-centered have developed clear learning outcomes for courses, programs, and concentrations, the corresponding parts of the Hampshire course evaluation forms emphasize “progress.” We will work with IT to improve evaluation forms with the purpose of including dedicated spaces where instructors can clearly indicate how well a student has done compared to faculty expectations. The query that asks whether the student has “successfully completed the course” will be revised to reflect the instructor’s judgment that the student has satisfied course learning objectives sufficiently for the course to merit inclusion in a Division 1 or Division 2 portfolio. The School deans will also consider other ways in which the course and divisional evaluation forms can be improved."

And, of course, the famous quote, straight from President Ralph Hexter's blog: "We may or may not continue to sail under the banner of the liberal arts tradition. We may or may not continue with other elements that have distinguished our curriculum and pedagogy, for example, narrative evaluations."

adding a graduate program
See Ralph's blog: "We will develop M.A. programs in key areas of strength as well as develop others in collaboration with the Five College consortium and possibly institutions elsewhere (possibly overseas). We may well contemplate becoming Hampshire University in name as well as spirit."

Ralph's Speech to the Community
Hexter, Ralph. Informational Meeting to discuss the State of the College. Franklin Patterson Main Lecture Hall, Amherst, MA. 11 September 2009.

Re-Rad referred to a videotaped version of this speech to ensure that all quotes were accurate.

One quote from Ralph Hexter's speech on the topic of voting and budget cuts:

"we're going to have be cutting for several years. I have to make very fast cuts. We can not have people voting. We can not have people voting, about what areas are going to be cut."

Governance Task Force
The Governance Task Force is charged by the Board of Trustees to reevaluate Hampshire's decision-making processes and present recommendations to the Board. These recommendations have the potential to restructure the entire governance system of the college. The charge emphasizes transparency and shared governance.

You can learn more about its charge and the efforts to change it made by Re-Rad at its page: Governance Task Force

Shared Vision Going Forward
This statement was drafted and ratified by Re-Rad as a response to recent and proposed changes at Hampshire. Re-Rad believes that these are the elements that we must maintain in order for Hampshire to survive, and we believe it is important that our voices on this subject be heard. If you agree, please sign the statement and forward it to family and friends!


 * Sign on to the Shared Vision