Just as Promised: Our first installment of the MIDDLE-STATES SELF-STUDY REPORT

Here are TBK’s findings after examining the first Chapter of the Middle States Self-Study Report: 

The Purpose of the Kean Self-Study report is to “determine… how well the University is ‘fulfilling its mission and achieving its goals’ and… answer the question ‘how well are we collectively doing what we say we are doing?"  (Page 3)

Naturally it speaks of declining State funding over the past two decades, and briefly juxtaposes that against the increased scope of education that Kean has risen to provide over the last half-century.   (Page 3)  What does that mean?

Well, over the past decade, the Kean Mission Statement and Strategic Plan have led the school to the “Achievement of University Status” as well as an “evolution” insofar as providing “foundation for the enhanced levels of academic programming evident [at Kean] today.”  Accordingly, the “end result has been a revitalization of the campus, expanded learning opportunities, and a focus on educational excellence within a global context.” (Page 4)

But what sorts of “expanded learning opportunities” abound here at Kean? 

Certainly our institution has grown in size, but the Undergraduate degree in Social Work, a Nationally Accredited and recognized program, no longer exists.  The Philosophy department, a branch of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences that served about 800 undergraduates each semester, will be completely dissolved by the end of Spring 2011, and the 2,000 students that are enrolled in our Business School don’t even know it’s not Accredited.

The Report boasts of Kean’s incredible diversity, something worthy of praise, and references both the substantial increase in Freshman enrollment trends while noting that  “58% of its first-time full-time freshman classes” are composed of students from “minority backgrounds.” (Page 5) 

Despite this trend in increased enrollment, the document states that “Kean’s efforts to increase the number of full-time faculty are ongoing though a net gain has not yet been achieved.”  (Page 6)  What this means is, even though Full-Time Enrollment at Kean is growing by leaps and bounds, the number of Full-Time Faculty is diminishing.  In fact, the wording of the report implies that this deficit in Faculty has been an irresolvable problem for the last ten years. 

What is worse is how the Self-Study glosses over this issue of a growing Student-to-Faculty ratio:  There is no mention, at this point in the document, of what “Efforts” have been made to increase the presence of Full-Time Faculty on campus, and certainly no reference to the 28 Professors to whom the Farahi Administration has given notice.  Why should the leadership of this University, especially in light of their own recognition of this problem, lay off such an inordinate number of Faculty? 

The Study also lauds a “critical change [that] occurred in spring 2008 with the revamping of the course schedule to improve space utilization,” and how “The reconfigured scheduling template… increased space utilization on Fridays from 13% to 45% and eased parking demands all other days of the week.” (Page 8)  Any students who started attending Kean before the schedule change occurred two years ago knows that the parking situation on campus has only grown worse and that the new schedule all but removes provision for students who want to both work and attend classes full time.  If that serves as any sort of augur to the Kean student body, then know that we’re not done with change.

 Here’s our final note to you, our readers: 

“Today, another reorganization initiative is in progress—the further re-structuring of Academic Affairs.”  (That means they’re referring to the dissolution of the Philosophy Department and Social Work Undergraduate Degree)  “Phased in as early as July 1, 2010, the reorganization involves the elimination of almost all academic departments and department chairs on campus, replacing them with Schools presided over by Executive Directors (who will move out of the bargaining unit and into managerial status) along with coordinators of individual degree programs (who will continue as part of the bargaining unit).  Currently, only two undergraduate departments, History and Communication will continue to exist as departments. Given the pressing need to react to the ongoing fiscal crisis, the reorganization document was generated with and based upon a minimum of discussion between the administration and the faculty, although consultations on implementation continue.” (Page 9)

How the Farahi Administration will continue to carry out this reorganization is unclear.  One thing, however, remains startlingly explicit:  If only the History and Communication Departments are to remain untouched, then every student at Kean who is currently enrolled in one of the 46 remaining Undergraduate programs is at risk of having their majors cut out from under them, and the faculty responsible for their educational wellbeing has no say in the matter.

Just to be perfectly clear, that Means 11,278 Kean Undergrads out of 12,072 NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR MAJORS ARE AT RISK.