Faculty express concerns at Cruzado meeting

Some Montana State University-Northern faculty members used a meeting with Montana State University President Waded Cruzado Thursday to express concerns about budget issues, the need to resurrect past programs and a recent sexual harassment complaint.

Cruzado and administrators from the four Montana campuses were at Northern for the third annual One MSU Symposium. This year the Northern campus hosted the two-day gathering.

Following a day of panel discussions, Cruzado met with several faculty members in the Fireside Room in the Student Union Building.

Individual participants in the discussion said the views being aired were their own and not on behalf of any group.

John Snider, an English professor, opened with criticisms of how Cruzado’s office, and others handled a recent sexual harassment allegation against Northern.

“The whole thing is shameful and unconscionable,” said Snider, referring to MSU’s handling of a 2013 complaint against the college by Northern’s Dean of Extended University Randy Bachmeier.

Snider said multiple faculty members had talked with Cruzado about the “unprofessional behavior” of both former Northern Provost Rosalyn Templeton and then-Chancellor James Limbaugh, but those complaints were not taken seriously.

“That refusal of your office, of the regents and commissioner's office to take these complaints seriously and take some serious actions cost the state of Montana half a million dollars,” said Snider, who added that failure to effectively deal with those complaints has bred a cynicism.

Cruzado said the dissatisfaction Snider described stood in contrast to the mood she experienced at Northern both that day and over the past year.

“As far as I am concerned, all I hear about Northern is that people are happy, that people are happy with the leadership of Chancellor (Greg) Kegel. I hear many positive things.”

The desire to bring back Northern’s secondary education programs was also brought up. Fred Smiley, a professor of education at Northern, said he had spoken with members of the Montana Association of School Superintendents. He said that twenty-two people had sent a letter to Cruzado in October expressing their desire to have secondary education programs in math and special education returned to Northern.

During Limbaugh’s tenure, the university’s secondary education programs had been placed in a morotorium for review.

Smiley said that Havre Public School Superintendent Andy Carlson said that half the teachers at the high school were Northern graduates, and he is having a hard time finding high school teachers.

Smiley added the association is going to ask Cruzado to do whatever she can to bring back those programs.

Cruzado said she had not received the letter. Smiley then gave her a copy.

Cruzado said that it is that those matters fall under the purview of the administration on campus and not her.

“I cannot dictate to the chancellor or to any of you ‘do this or eliminate that,” said Cruzado.

Northern Provost William Rugg said he heard complaints about secondary education being done away with. He said two secondary education programs were resurrected last year and two more are being looked at to be brought back in March.

Snider spoke again, this time about MSU’s instructional budget. He said on average 50.2 percent of an educlation budget goes toward instruction, whereas at Northern it is 43 percent in the 2016 budget.

Curtis Smeby, a professor of education at Northern, said increasing the instructional part of the budget is critical, and would solve many of Northern’s shortcomings.

He added that Northern has programs in Native American studies, psychology and special education that need to be developed and approved in order for Northern to thrive. Smeby estimates building on those programs could bring in between 200 and 300 additional students each year.

Cruzado said progress is being made, but counseled patience, saying the budgets won’t change overnight. Furthermore, she said Northern needs to not only look at recruiting but retaining students. Doing that, she said, is how she was able to turn around things at MSU Bozeman.

She added that given the way the state budgets, the non-instructional portion of the budget also goes toward other necessary areas such as scholarships and classroom repairs.