ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9601020007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Guest Column
SOURCE: PATTI LOOP
A beautiful and deep snow fell in Blacksburg earlier this month. Quite unexpectedly, school children had the day off. Virginia Tech was closed and "nonessential personnel" were not required to report to work. Great! Right? Yes and no. While even workaholics appreciate an unexpected day off, most people would not like to have their work described as "nonessential."
Since Nov. 8, students and faculty of the College of Education at Virginia Tech have known how it feels to be considered "nonessential." On that day, Dr. Wayne Worner, interim dean of the College of Education, received a chilling announcement from President Paul Torgersen. The search process for a new dean of the College of Education had been halted. Without consultation, Torgersen announced he intended to merge the College of Education into another unnamed college by July 1, 1996.
Taken alone, this decision is difficult to accept. But, in light of the restructuring that has taken place in the College of Education over the past two years, Torgersen's announcement seems unimaginable! Since that time, the College of Education has cut its personnel by 40 percent and eliminated six programs and one level of administrative structure. It has narrowed the focus of its work to kindergarten through twelth grade, at the expense of programs such as adult education.
Torgersen envisioned "administrative savings" by merging the College of Education with another college.
Unfortunately, the savings would be a minuscule portion of the total operating budget of Virginia Tech, something on the order of one-tenth of 1 percent.
Cost-benefit analysis of a potential college merger should also factor in possible disadvantages. (1) The prestige of the College of Education will draw more students, and potential alumni dollars, than a school of education. (2) International students who have been funded contingent on attending the College of Education at Virginia Tech may lose funding and their work may be discredited. (3) The commitment of Virginia Tech to Virginia's public schools would be reduced.
As a female, nontraditional graduate student in the College of Education, I feel personally distressed about Torgersen's announcement. I do not oppose the man; I oppose the decision he made and the manner in which he made his decision.
In a letter concerning restructuring from Torgersen to Virginia school superintendents and legislators dated February 1994, he stated, "Since its founding in 1970, Virginia Tech's College of Education has earned recognition and respect for its productivity and vitality." He specifically promised, "The particulars of the reorganization of the College of Education will be worked out within the College itself, not mandated by the University administration." A public trust has been broken and this has had a negative effect on the entire university community.
Faculty and students are increasingly preoccupied defending the existence of the college, which had been "a given" until the past two years. The suggestion of a merger has had numerous "opportunity costs;" time which could be used doing research has been spent on phone calls, meetings, e-mail, and letter-writing campaigns. To what end? As recently as Nov. 27, Torgersen reported, "All are supportive of the decision" to merge the college.
Over the next month, before a final decision is made, those who object to the closing of a college without any input and with no apparent reason should express their opinions to Torgersen and the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. I oppose a merger. And when the final decision is made, my hope is that the work done by the faculty, students and alumni of the College of Education will be deemed "essential," after all.
Patti Loop lives in Blacksburg and is a doctoral student at Virginia Tech in student personnel services.
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