Society entering new artificial intelligence era PAGE 20
ColumbiaChronicle.com
» megan bennett CAMPUS EDITOR
the college’s net loss of nearly 500 students and Columbia’s fall enrollment declining for the sixth consecutive year, as reported Sept. 28 by The Chronicle, the administration is creating plans to combat a further decline. Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Jeff Meece said the new efforts will be a collegewide one including a new admitted students team and better communication with continuing students. Final enrollment numbers, sent to staff and faculty in a Sept. 25 email from Senior Vice President and Provost Stan Wearden, revealed a 5 percent decrease in total enrollment in the last year—down from 9,442 to 8,961 students. As reported Sept. 14 by The Chronicle, the college’s fiscal year 2016 budget, approved by the board of trustees in May, was configured with a projected enrollment of 9,333 students, which the college fell short of by 372 students, according to the final enrollment numbers. Deans met with department chairs Aug. 31 to revise budgets after early projections suggested the target enrollment would not be met. Wearden said the revised budgets were based on an updated projection of 8,950. “My anticipation is those budget reductions will have to be put in place,” he said. Vice President of Business Affairs and IN LIGHT OF
CFO Michelle Gates said in an Oct. 1 emailed statement that the adjustment for the fiscal year’s budget is on target. “The budget is not only tightly aligned with enrollment, but it allows the college to continue to invest in institutional priorities, such as classroom capital improvements and initiatives to support student services,” Gates said. As of press time, Gates did not respond to requests for updated budget figures. A spokesperson for the college said the budget is pending approval by the board of trustees. The Radio, Audio Arts & Acoustics and Education departments experienced the most significant enrollment drops. The Radio Department decreased 23.15 percent by 25 students, the Audio Arts & Acoustics Department fell 19.32 percent by 120 students and the Education Department decreased 15.70 percent by 12 students. Four areas of the college increased in size. The American Sign Language Department increased 17.86 percent by 20 students, the Humanities, History & Social Sciences Department increased 15 percent by six students and the Theatre Department increased 5.77 percent by 48 students. The enrollment of students with no department, which includes undecided, at-large or interdisciplinary students, increased 16.06 percent by 22 students. John Green, chair of the Theatre Department, said the department’s growth
P-Fac: ‘No confidence’ in college administration » lauren kostiuk CAMPUS REPORTER
COLUMBIA’S PART-TIME FACULTY organization
overwhelmingly voted no confidence in President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim and his administration, according to a Sept. 30 P-Fac press release provided by Nancy Traver, an adjunct professor in the Communication & Media Innovation Department and P-Fac publicity chair.
The voting period, which began June 24, was extended twice to include non-union and inactive adjuncts before closing Sept. 25. The union cited 10 instances in the past academic year that called for a vote of no confidence, including refusal of a complete transparent budget, “drastic” changes to the college for financial reasons, the failure to honor the college’s mission in the Strategic Plan, “the hiring of six new [highly] paid administrators,” top-down decision making,
2015
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INFORMATION FROM INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
5% 7% 5.7% 7.2% 2.5% 1.7% 2.7% 3.7% 4.5% 6% 4.7%
8,961
2015
9,442
2014
10,173
2013
10,783
2012
11,625
2011
11,922
2010
12,127
2009
12,464
2008
12,021
2007
11,499
2006
10,842
2005
STUDENT POPULATION » COLIN KING/CHRONICLE
was caused by several factors, including its unique concentrations like Comedy Writing and Performance and its network of connections with students, faculty and alumni. “We have excellent teachers who are excellent advisors,” Green said. “We have exciting
programs that people respond to, and we have developed a good alumni relationship.” Green added he expects the department’s enrollment to rise again next year by looking for programs that have room to grow.
cutting course offerings and class sections, the elimination of the First-Year Seminar Department, the move to a university model, failure to honor the collective bargaining agreement and failure to bargain in good faith with United Staff of Columbia College and finalize a contract. “I hope [the administration] recognizes our reasons for launching the vote of no confidence,” Traver said. “We want the college to more closely follow the [college’s] original mission of the college.” Dick Kiphart, chair of the board of trustees, said he absolutely does not support the vote of no confidence and has full faith in Kim. He said the board of trustees has “bent over backwards” for P-Fac by hiring lawyers and
being the first to get them a signed contract. “We did everything that they asked us to do,” Kiphart said. “In the meantime, Kwang-Wu has been fantastic.” The ballot said voters could either vote yes or no to having “no confidence in the present administration at Columbia College Chicago.” P-Fac’s official website states the organization has “no confidence in the Kim Administration and the board of trustees at Columbia College Chicago.” Kiphart said he does not think these claims are justified. “We love P-Fac and Columbia would not exist without P-Fac,” Kiphart said. “We will do everything we think is appropriate to help them because we love those guys.”
SEE LOW, PAGE 11
College addresses enrollment decline
5
SEE VOTE, PAGE 10
Volume 51, Issue 5
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders brings campaign to Chicago
OCT.