Reinvestment from the Emporia State student government perspective was the focus of the most recent On-Air Chat on KVOE and KVOE.com.
Hailey Kisner, the Associated Student Government Vice President, and School of Business Senator Sophia Dawson say the massive changes beginning last fall and continuing since then were unavoidable, due to the university’s ongoing budget cuts and decline in both overall and on-campus enrollment. Both gave the administration’s transparency effort passing marks with room for improvement.
Kisner says the early reaction from students was sharp but not widespread.
That early reaction has eased, but Dawson says the ASG message to students is simple and constant:
Reinvestment became the focal point on campus shortly after the Kansas Board of Regents approved the ESU Framework for Workforce Management in September. Reinvestment announcements have already been publicized for disciplines like nursing; Liberal Arts and Sciences; Diversity, Equity + Inclusion; Social Sciences, Sociology and criminology; communications; business; teachers education and music. Additional announcements are expected as the semester continues.
The plan paved the way for Emporia State to reconfigure several programs and make certain facility enhancements — but also led to the elimination of over 30 faculty positions, mainly involving tenured professors, and the upcoming end of the long-successful debate program.
