Observer Issue 1 Spring 2019

Page 1

Observer the

January 24, 2019 VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 1

www.fordhamobserver.com

Fordham Appoints New Provost Dennis Jacobs

Let’s Get that Yield Rate Up, Fordham

By SOPHIE PARTRIDGE-HICKS Asst. News Editor

By LEO BERNABEI Staff Writer

On Jan. 14, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., announced the appointment of Dennis C. Jacobs as the new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs of the university. Jacobs will assume his role on July 1. Under the president, a university provost is the university’s chief academic officer and is responsible for the creation and implementation of academic priorities. The provost works closely with the university’s academic deans, department heads, faculty and staff in order to ensure that the academic goals of the university are met to the highest degree. Jacobs will take on the position from Interim Provost Jonathan Crystal, who held the post following the death of Provost Stephen Freedman in July 2018. During this time, Virginia Roach, dean of the Graduate School of Education, was selected to direct a Provostial Search Committee. In joining the Fordham community, Jacobs leaves Santa Clara University, where he had been provost since 2011. One of his notable accomplishments at the university was the creation of a new Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Eve Keller, president of the Faculty Senate, stated that “Dr Jacobs brings to Fordham an exceedingly impressive array of interests, talents and accomplishments, as a scholar and artist, and a higher education leader.” On behalf of the Senate, Keller expressed their enthusiasm, saying, “We look forward to welcoming him to our community and working together with him to build Fordham’s future.” Jacobs holds a doctorate in chemistry from Stanford University from 1988 and went on to obtain bachelor of science degrees in chemistry and physics from the University of California-Irvine in 1981 and 1982, respectively. In 2004, Jacobs was appointed as the provost at University of Notre Dame. Upon Jacobs’ appointment, Crystal will be promoted to the newly created position of vice provost and will serve as a senior member on Jacobs’ staff. The Observer reached out to Dr. Crystal and to Dr. Jacobs, but did not yet receive a comment.

In 2005, Fordham saw around 16,000 applicants apply for a spot in the Class of 2009 with an acceptance rate just under 50 percent. This came as Fordham’s Board of Trustees released an ambitious 10-year plan that would return Fordham “to a position of recognized national prominence in the world of American higher education.” Thirteen years later, over 46,000 applicants applied to Fordham’s Class of 2022. Despite a balloon in applications over this period, the acceptance rate just barely sank to 46 percent.

Let’s not allow our stagnant acceptance rate and low yield rate hold us back. MARGARET GALLAGHER/THE OBSERVER

By JORDAN MELTZER News Editor

see YIELD RATE pg. 7

Appli 000 0 Acc ca ,00

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2,000 Enrolled

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However, her financial situation and the government shutdown have forced her to take a leave of absence from the university. The summer before Shaw began her first semester at Fordham, her mother was hospitalized as her kidneys began to fail and she went into medical retirement. As a result of the ensuing financial difficulties, the family’s financial aid packet was rendered inaccurate and they were forced to file a reevaluation packet.

“I’d turn in paperwork and they’d say it’s the wrong paperwork,” Shaw said. “It was a lot.” Then, in September, her mother found out that her identity was stolen, which forced her to file her paperwork in person. Since she was hospitalized at the time, it took a week to file all the necessary forms. But this was only the beginning of the Shaws’ financial troubles. Fordham requires a transcript from the IRS certifying Shaw’s mother’s tax payments. This information will help determine how much need-based aid, if any, Fordham should allot for Shaw. Since the federally funded IRS is running in limited scope due to the government shutdown, the bureau will take months to deliver this transcript to Fordham.

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The longest government shutdown in American history, effective since Dec. 22, 2018, has done damage to hundreds of thousands of Americans. In addition to the 800,000 federal workers not receiving paychecks during the shutdown, one Fordham student has taken a direct hit due to the limited functionality of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bureau of the Treasury Department responsible for handling Americans’ taxes. Etta Shaw was a freshman at Fordham College at Lincoln Center on track to graduate in 2022. The 18-year-old Jersey City native was a freshman senator of United Student Government (USG) and the public relations officer for the Black Student Alliance (BSA).

It took a week to file all the paperwork. But the Shaws’ biggest troubles were only beginning.

46,

Shutdown Forces Student Into Leave of Absence

On top of this, Fordham’s yield rate – the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend the university – has remained virtually unchanged (if not shrunk) at around 10 percent over recent years. In other words, Fordham’s applicant pool continues to rise while its acceptanc and yield rates stay stagnant.

21

Etta Shaw has been waiting for the shutdown to end so the IRS can send her paperwork to Fordham.

see SHUTDOWN pg. 2

Jesuit Sexual Abuse Scandal Rocks Fordham Community By COURTNEY BROGLE Online Editor

In a statement released on Jan. 15, University President Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Robert Daleo identified nine Jesuit priests credibly accused of sexual assault with connections to the Fordham community. The statement was prompted by the Northeastern Province of the Society of Jesus, who released

a comprehensive list earlier that day of Jesuits with credible allegations of abuse upon minors. Among those listed in the Northeast Province, five Jesuits were assigned by the Province to serve at Fordham University or Fordham Preparatory School. Additionally, McShane and Daleo disclosed four other Jesuits connected to the university or preparatory school with credible accusations against them. These men were named on lists pre-

pared by the four other American provinces. The ties between Fordham and the nine men in question date as far back as 1936. Each offender, while employed at Fordham, interacted with students in some capacity: as professors, campus ministry participants and even residents in University housing. In addition, several men listed by the Northeast Province resided at Murray-Weigel Hall, the

Jesuit nursing home located adjacent to Fordham College at Rose Hill property. The Northeast Province owns and operates this facility; at Fordham’s request, Jesuits with known allegations against them that still reside there were removed. The statement to the Fordham community openly condemned the actions of these Jesuits. “As the sexual abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church unfolds,” McShane and Daleo’s joint see SCANDAL pg. 2

COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

Dennis Jacobs was appointed Provost on Jan. 14.

OPINIONS

CENTERFOLD

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS & HEALTH

Ghostly gusts are a gift

Rest, coffee and seniors in Spain

Celebrating the iconic NYC film

Basic habits to avoid burnout

PAGE 13

PAGE 19

Hallway Wind PAGE 7

Abroad in Bilbao PAGE 10

You’ve Got Mail at 20 Getting Better Sleep

THE STUDENT VOICE OF FORDHAM LINCOLN CENTER


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