Baker University’s political science program has been eliminated.
In an e-mail Thursday, University President Pat Long announced that Bruce Anderson, associate professor of political science, will be continuing in his role as head tennis coach, but has stepped aside from his faculty role.
“He will also be assisting in the Athletic Department with game administration and collaborative classes at area high schools for our School of Education,” Long said in the e-mail.
Jason Mock, who graduated with a political science degree in May of 2009, said he was livid with the university’s decision to eliminate the political science program. He was made aware of the decision after seeing the Facebook statuses of fellow political science alumni.
“I am completely shocked,” Mock said. “To my knowledge, there had never been any talk of (eliminating the program). It was a successful program. It produced successful alumni.”
Mock will be joining other BU political science graduates in expressing their concern with the university’s decision.
“I’m certainly going to take part in the efforts to write letters to Dr. Long, Susanne Teel, who is the chair of the Board of Trustees, and really anyone else I can write a letter to to express my dismay with the decision that the university has made,” he said.
Mock believes the program elimination will affect Baker in several ways in the future.
“I know talking to just a couple of other alumni, that many of us no longer have intentions to donate to the university in the future,” he said. “The kind of lack of loyalty to the program we graduated from doesn’t lend us to remain loyal to the institution.”
Mock said he views this decision as the opposite of what Long promised in a town hall meeting last spring.
“I mean, it seems ridiculous that last spring when we had the town hall meeting with Dr. Long that she virtually promised that academic programs and a student’s education at the university would not be adversely affected by these budget cuts,” he said. “This is in fact the complete opposite of the promise that was made. This is adversely affecting the education of students who are in the program and future students who may have come to the university and majored in political science.”
Long also announced in her e-mail that Karen Exon, professor of health, sport and human performance, will continue in her role as head golf coach.
“In true Baker spirit, these two individuals volunteered to relinquish their faculty assignments to help improve our long-term financial stability,” Long said in the e-mail. “I am most grateful for their sacrifice and that our students will continue to have these fine coaches leading our teams to victory.”
