Q&A with Andrew Langrehr regarding faculty layoffs effective May 2018
Interview Conducted by: Melissa Wilkinson
As the reduction in force (RIF) moves forward, faculty are receiving notices that Spring 2018 will be their final semester at STLCC. The Montage interviewed Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Andrew Langrehr in order to confirm rumors and clarify details regarding the RIF.
Q: Who decided which faculty would be cut?
A: [Decision makers] included academic leadership, provosts, deans, human resources and data from institutional research and planning.
Q: How were selections for the RIF made?
A: We looked at all the disciplines. The way seniority tables are built is around disciplines. The joint resolution [with the NEA] provides some staffing guidelines we used. We applied that formula to each discipline to see if it has a shortage [of faculty] or extra. Do people in this discipline have trouble reaching a full course load? Do they have to teach in other disciplines [to make a full course load]?
Of course, we couldn’t listen exclusively to [the joint resolution guidelines.] The library, for example, doesn’t generate a lot of courses. When you apply the staffing guidelines to a discipline like library or nursing, it’s going to say you have to make cuts there and we can’t do that.
Q: What would happen if there were a choice between two faculty of the same seniority level?
A:We tried to avoid drawing a line where it would partition off between two people who are equal seniority in the same discipline. For example, if it was determined that within a discipline we could reduce three faculty and the third faculty member had the same seniority as the fourth, we a lot of times would go back by one and only reduce two so we don’t get into that drawing straws sort of situation.
Q: How were faculty told they were cut?
A: Once by meeting, once by letter and once by email. Folks received phone calls starting on Tuesday [Dec. 12] asking to schedule a meeting with their supervisor. I think some people viewed that as notification but the official notification was the delivery of a letter. Calls went out on Tuesday but no notices went out on Tuesday. The lion’s share were [Wednesday]. Also written notification was put in the mail [Wednesday] to be delivered by regular mail and email will be done tomorrow. I think the meetings are pretty much done.
Q: Why did a large number of the cuts reportedly come from Reading and the English department?
A: If you look at the staffing levels in English compared to student enrollment and you also put in the other variables about where people are challenged to [fill their course load] and have to teach in other disciplines, those areas were highlighted by that approach. That was more reading where they’re having trouble with load. One of the things that advantages an area like art, while the staffing guidelines say we could do with less art faculty, they also encourage specialization. There’s people with all kinds of different skillsets, whereas in other disciplines [like English] most of those folks can teach all the classes. Art is advantaged in that if you reduce someone who can teach, say, sculpture, you might be limiting class offerings.
Q: Will faculty be asked to move between campuses in the event that there’s a need to fill in gaps?
A: Definitely. We have not done a good job over time of calibrating that when we’ve had attrition. This process has highlighted some imbalances. The union is aware that once we see what this looks like in March we’ll have to have the discussions about transfers. We’ll start with voluntary transfers and then we’ll get into involuntary.
Q: What is the college’s plan to mitigate the consequences of the RIF for students?
The approach we took to this is strategic. We tried to make sure that we have faculty in all areas so we can continue to offer the courses and programs we’ve been offering, that was first and foremost. We’re going to engage with the union on how we approach it after we know what happens with the VSIP (Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment).
But we should be staffed at a really good level. Let’s say all 58 [noticed] folks were removed from the college and we couldn’t save anybody. If we did that we would still have a better student to faculty ratio than most of the community colleges in Missouri.
Q: How will these reductions in faculty affect the Higher Learning Commission’s visit and evaluation in February?
A: As we’ve been working through this process we’ve been preparing our arguments for them. What the HLC wants is to make sure we give an honest assessment of our state of affairs. It shouldn’t affect us in a negative way if we have challenges and are working in a logical way to address those challenges. They accredit a huge number of schools. It’s not unusual for them to be coming into an evaluation where a college is dealing with budget challenges. Their question is what is your approach and do you have guidelines to the approach? We’ve been upfront with what’s on the table. When they get here the story will be consistent.
Q: Does the college have additional marketing plans to help increase enrollment?
We have a marketing plan. It has multiple lanes to reach not just students out of high school but in their 20’s and 30’s. A billboard might work for me because I’m old and I drive but social media works better for younger students. Some folks have complained that in a tough budget time we’re trying to put in a new facility in Forest Park, but the learning environment also attracts students. We’re trying to make our environment better, our online platform better, our website better. We’re doing all those things to boost enrollment.
One of the things the board approved was a viability process that’s going to check and see if our programs are preparing students for jobs. We’re responding to challenges and also looking forward with marketing and retention.
