Introduction by Mack Benge.
A group of students and community members wrote this letter addressing the Board of Trustees and the administration, asking them to reconsider the terminal contracts that was sent out to the College of Arts and Sciences faculty on March 15th. Included at the end of the letter was a petition of 177 student signatures who were in agreement with the statements made. The Belltower received this letter on April 3rd at 11:35am. The letter was then sent to the Co-presidents, Provost, and the President of the Board of Trustees at 3:00 pm on April 3rd. This letter covers the student perspective of Saint Martin’s University’s financial crisis. The Belltower has decided to remove the signatures originally on this document since it would be impossible to verify publishing rights with every individual and still publish this letter in a timely manner. We appreciate your understanding.
Saint Martin’s University
5000 Abbey Way SE
Lacey, WA 98503
Dear Board of Trustees and members of Administration,
Although the campus has now blossomed into spring and welcomed the sun, our community has been dimmed. The students of Saint Martin’s are concerned for the future of our education and the community.
As has been made apparent, the university has faced many struggles this past year with budget shortfalls, salary cuts, and decrease in enrollment. As students we have been consistently told that the decisions being made will not affect students’ engagement, opportunity, and overall experience at Saint Martin’s University. However, as this year has unfolded, it has become harder to believe so. Our student organizations, clubs, academic programs, and many more have been impacted with sizable percentage cuts to funding for the annual budgets. The opportunities we would have received in the past for academic conferences, diverse course options, as well as extracurricular activities have been cut short due to our university’s situation yet as students, we have been more than understanding. We have continued to work with the funding we have been provided, collaborate to balance costs, replace our historic programming and events, and much more. We have consistently taken on integral roles in the campus community as student leaders, student staff, and volunteers to provide a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment for our peers and community in hopes of uplifting our campus that many of us call home.
During the academic year there have been only two opportunities to have conversations with administration regarding student concerns and needs at Saint Martin’s with many concerns centering around the lack of organization in academic advising and the need for a stronger and sustainable graduate support department. Additional concerns have been raised regarding the cost of tuition being raised despite many of our students being low-income, first generation, and part of marginalized communities. The university has made executive decisions that have greatly impacted our abilities as students to be successful in our academic, personal, and social journeys with little to no concern for student voice, perspective, and needs. However as of March 15th, the disregard for our Saint Martin’s community appears to have grown.
Throughout the weekend of March 15th, the decision about terminal appointment letters for faculty, the majority from the College of Arts and Sciences, reached students causing growing concern for the current and future state of Saint Martin’s and our community. The information about the terminal appointment letters was shared with no transparency regarding the decision for faculty and student voice was nonexistent, disregarding the harm this has now created. As students attempting to gain more information on this decision, we must go through a variety of steps and links within the Saint Martin’s University website to access the information, further placing a barrier on student and community engagement in these decisions and outreach. The ‘academic restructuring’ plan has no further details on the true intention of providing more equitable and accessible resources and support that meet student needs despite growing student concern about the lack of structure and foundation for our academics. It is unfortunate that the administration of the university has taken on this decision with no concern for the impact this has created for our faculty and students.
The faculty that holds these positions that are up for termination are the most committed, caring, supportive, and integral part of building and contributing to the foundation of our education and environment that has brought out immensely successful scholars who continue to come back and support our blessed Saint Martin’s community. Many not only act as our professors but also mentors and guiding figures in our lives, going above and beyond to make the student journey at Saint Martin’s filled with heart. They have spent countless hours assisting students with attaining needed course materials, arranging experience opportunities, listening to personal challenges and most importantly, sharing the importance of our Benedictine roots and values.
In the Rule of Saint Benedict he states, “No one is to pursue what is judged best for oneself, but instead, what is better for someone else” (Rule of St. Benedict 72). The principles of our community are centered around the twelve values of the Rule of Saint Benedict with this quote being influential in our work to strive for genuine respect for persons and our community. As students of Saint Martin’s, we continue to welcome every day, moment, and person with open arms even through adversity but what we ask is that the whole of the institution practice the same. How can we embrace listening with the ear of the heart when that same principle is not being held in respect to our students and Saint Martin’s community?
As the students of Saint Martin’s University, we ask that the administration, Cabinet members, and Board of Trustees re-issue letters of appointment to the faculty impacted by the decision made to release terminal appointment letters. Additionally, students from various fields of study, leadership roles, and diverse experiences should be included in the discussions and decisions made regarding our institution, community, and home. As we anticipate more hardships in the future, we must face these issues together and as Saints who will always and forever live with heart.
Sincerely,
Students and Community of Saint Martin’s University
Student and community comments:
- Pertaining to the letter attached to hear the voices of students, Saint Martins University has been an amazing school. Just like any other school, it has a ton of downfalls. As a first generation, low-income student, it’s fair to admit that our high cost of tuition does not meet the quality of our educational experience. Understanding the budget costs, students are being extremely affected. No matter how much scholarships a student works hard for, how hard our parents try to make on their ends, attending this university will still lead us in debt. It is hard to see where our money is going to, is it to the professors, advisors, back to the students? There is no transparency to see where our tuition money is going. There could be proper actions that could be resolved with the voices of those impacted, the actual students of Saint Martins University.
- It saddens me that our staff is now even more underpaid is not fair and it needs to be resolved.
- Decisions about students, without students, are simply unjust and it is becoming practice
- The professors here have had a major impact on not only my education, but the enjoyment of being here at Saint Martins. Renew their contracts!!!!
- I’m very disappointed with the Saint Martin’s institution, and how they have handled this crisis. As someone who is undocumented, and had to rely on scholarships to be able to be where I am now, only to be told that my education and my future may be terminated is very discouraging, and heartbreaking. We’re asking the Saint Martin’s institution to do something about this crisis, our dream and future should not be jeopardized due to poor leadership.
- Over Christmas break I had to make the heart wrenching decision to withdraw from SMU due to the tuition raise. I am a first generation Engineering student, and I come from a very large family with a very low income. Since having to withdraw I haven’t taken one break to find a way to go back to school in the fall. I am literally working almost 24/7 on scholarships and other ways to raise money to go back to school in the fall. I hope it will be at SMU, but I will go somewhere else if necessary. Knowing that my success has been abruptly halted from the decisions of the SMU leaders is heartbreaking. Please do not let what has happened to me and others in my situation, happen to anyone else. Please don’t treat our wonderful and dedicated professors like that either. Put yourselves in our shoes, imagine all your dreams and aspirations being taken away from you right in front of your eyes and you can do nothing about it. Just because students are underprivileged doesn’t mean they don’t have rights. You are teaching the world’s next generation of leaders, without leaders our society will collapse, do not deprive them and yourselves of the education they deserve.
- This is ridiculous the fact that students and staff that have committed to this University are having to undergo these uncommunicated changes. As students our tuition has been raised without communication and we are forced to figure it out with lack of support from the University. This decision will cost a loss in students as key staff would be terminated and the staff are the reason we stay. Students should not be charged more for budgeting failures of the University. This whole situation is a disgrace to the University core standards and practices.
- We the students expect equity, fairness, respect, and the utmost importance for transparency. We want to be a university of integrity that values student’s and faculty’s values. As a catholic, is it not thy duty to respect your fellow peers? And appreciate and show your candors towards fellow women and men?
- I would like to see more help for the Exercise Science department, we have ONE full time professor teaching 4+ classes a semester with no help plus one adjunct who is only able to teach one class. There is no guidance for exercise science majors what so ever.
- I am an alum, however I thought this matter was very important to speak on. I cherished my academic and extra curricular opportunities within the arts and sciences as well as ASSMU. What I think about most are the leaders and scholars who went through Saint Martins and are now making an impact in their communities. I hope that these programs are not negatively impacted by the restructuring, so that individuals can continue to have the opportunity to experience the same privileges.
- I support this action and stand with my fellow students.
- Was a SMU student in the 11th Benedictine Scholars cohort. I was priced out of the school due to annual tuition raises despite receiving the Chancellor’s scholarship, Benedictine Scholarship, multiple outside awards, and government grants and loans. They need change.
- concern that teacher terminal contracts will cause departments to shut down (and what do they mean by teach out)
- During my short time at Saint Martin’s I have noticed that students are not included on making decisions based on OUR education which is extremely disappointing
- I’ve been here for 5 years and as each year goes by I have slowly watched this school fall from glory. It’s name is well know and it’s reputation is held at high regards, however, my time here at SMU has not reflected its reputation and serious changes need to be made if this university is to stay open and functional. If changes can’t be made to improve the university and make it more affordable and appealing then I see only a grim future for Saint Martin’s University unfortunately.
- A powerful STUDENT message that should NOT be dismissed or taken lightly. Listen to your students and consider their needs/wants… especially since we are the people who make up the university… which it appears many have forgotten.
- I’m from the class of 2015 and have been disappointed and frustrated by the decision SMU has made since I graduated. The university will continue to struggle to attract and retain students and world class faculty with a diversity of experiences and identities that match our changing world because of the decisions being made by university leadership.
- As an alumni and current SMU staff member, I cannot thank you enough for the letter you wrote and for spreading this information.
- As an alumni (2020), it hurts to see this. Especially going through COVID with these professors – like the letter said, these are the most caring, supportive, and dedicated professors and they deserve to be treated as such.
- As an alumni to SMU, I appreciate the collegiate experience and opportunity that our school has provided. It helped strengthen my leadership capabilities for the future. However, it saddens me to see that our current students aren’t given that same opportunity… I support the concerns our current students have because it is apparent. I too actively experienced the educational and institution opportunities slowly diminished from SMU, especially when I was at the senior level.
- As the former LGBTQA* club president from 2015-2017, my faith in the university and its leaders has dwindled greatly over the last 9 years. It feels very performative for the university to continue to prioritize their financial and political priorities over the needs of their own students. Marginalized students continue to be used for photo opportunities to attempt to bring in new prospective students, but the campus does not mirror their shared identities and backgrounds, which makes it harder for them to find a sense of belonging. The professors who have been terminated are some of the most impactful human beings I have met in my life, who have always advocated for the best interest of their students. I sign this petition in solidarity of Keri Graham, Jeff Birkenstein, Irina Gendleman, Cameron Devine, David Price, Stephen Mead, Julia Chaves, Julie Yamamoto, Jamie Olson, Kael Moffat and the many other liberal arts professors who have been wrongfully terminated on behalf of Roy Hendrick and Father Kilian Malvey and the Saint Martin’s University Institution.
- The faculty and staff have been underpaid and overworked for years. They have shown unwavering loyalty to the Saint Martin’s community and deserve the same in return.
The Belltower 