Faculty, staff crowd regents meeting to oppose college merger plan

Several dozen faculty and staff members attended Thursday’s Board of Regents for Higher Education meeting to register their opposition to the plan to consolidate the state’s 12 community colleges into one single statewide college.

“We have been fighting for a couple of years to make something coherent out of this plan,” said Colena Sesanker, a philosophy professor at Gateway Community College. But faculty and professors who participate on various committees working on the consolidation are not being listened to, she said. “The plan doesn’t even seem viable. It seems harmful for students. We have been pushing for any number of things that could at least have made it better.”

She said the faculty members attending Thursday’s board meeting have been feeling that their efforts to provide input are “futile” and many, including her, are now thinking of dropping off the committees.

Another faculty member, Lauren Doninger, a psychology professor at Gateway, said “I think the way consolidation is being pursued is reckless. I wouldn’t have chosen consolidation, but I and many many others were willing, if this is the path we’re taking, let’s make it the best possible experience that we can.”

Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2019/12/19/faculty-staff-crowd-regents-meeting-to-oppose-college-merger-plan/