Baker University is seeing many changes this year within the faculty through retirement, additions and resignations.
Tom Conoley, assistant professor of computer science, and Andrew Driscoll, assistant professor of art, are both resigning after the spring semester. Conoley is unhappy with how his time at Baker has turned out.
“I’m leaving in frustration,” Conoley said. “There are a whole lot of things over the years.”
Conoley first started teaching when a teacher backed out at the last minute for a class at Kansas City Kansas Community College. He said when he would come home after the class at night he would always be in a good mood, so he and his wife decided he should try his hand at teaching instead of working in industry,.
“This opportunity at Baker came up,” Conoley said. “I liked the small school.”
Conoley said he is disappointed that teaching didn’t work out the way he had hoped. He said he took a huge salary cut and then felt like he was being run off.
“I took the job for the vision and the students,” he said.
Conoley said he will return to work in the industry after this semester.
Freshman Nicole Armbruster said Conoley was her adviser until he decided to resign, and she was switched to John Pepper, assistant professor of business and economics.
Armbruster said she was disappointed when she heard about Conoley’s resignation. “I really liked Tom,” she said. “He was always positive.”
Driscoll wasn’t available for an interview, but Professor of Art Inge Balch said he just resigned. Right now applications are being accepted for the position, but search committees haven’t been formed for any of the jobs in the art department yet.
“We will look for an adjunct right now,” Balch said.
Director of Teacher Education Bill Neuenswander and Professor of Art Walt Bailey both made the decision to retire from Baker and hold smaller roles. Tim Buzzell, associate professor of sociology, will be the chair for the newly named department of social sciences as Ryan Beasley, associate professor of political science, is taking more time for family. Beasley will keep his position as director of the international studies program.