MINNEAPOLIS — Students and faculty this week were shocked at news that the University of Minnesota was going to potentially cut some ethnic and gender studies programs in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) by as much as 30%.
On Friday, the CLA Dean John Coleman confirmed to KARE 11 that a "budget coding issue" led to the miscalculation. And while the cuts won't be as severe, Coleman says it still plans on a $2 million reduction from the college's budget in the upcoming academic year.
Sumanth Gopinath, associate professor of music theory, says his department is one that could be impacted by the cuts.
"It would happen immediately, very soon, and the problem that's worrisome is we got information about this so late," said Gopinath.
It was in April that word spread amongst the college that the cuts were seemingly targeting language studies, African American/African Studies, Chicano and Latino Studies and American Indian Studies. It would have greatly reduced the instructional budget for teachers and graduate students who aren't tenured.
"Some of the best faculty, the best teachers at the university, are in those categories," said Gopinath. "The liberal arts is kind of the center for really, I think, shaping critical thought at the U."
In an email, Dean Coleman said that the budget coding issue resulted in larger than necessary proposed cuts. He is now asking the departments to resubmit their requests, but people are still concerned, including prospective student and activist Siobhan Moore.
"We, as an organization, are making clear that students are not going to put up with it and we will stand up and fight back to defend our education," said Moore.
She leads the local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society that planned to protest on campus Friday. In part, because of the further reductions, in part, due to revenue impacts.
Dean Coleman said last fiscal year, the CLA handled its tuition shortfall through federal pandemic relief funds, and this year, it used college reserve/carry-forward funds. Both options are no longer available.
"When you look at the balance of finances, administration is very top-heavy," said Moore. "If anyone has to tighten their belts when these budget cuts come due, it should be administration and it shouldn't be students, staff and faculty who lose their courses and lose their jobs every time the bill comes due."
CLA is also down 1,300 students since the 2019-2020 academic year, which is a theme across the entire university. So much a theme, that it's asking for millions of dollars in funding from the Minnesota Legislature and considering tuition hikes as high as 7.5%.
That could potentially impact not only what students can study, but who can even afford to at all.
"Because we should be making the U available to those in the state, and frankly beyond, to be able to come here," said Gopinath.
"And also at the end of the day, it is also a political attack on the rights of students to those programs and of the political content of those programs themselves," said Moore.
The protest the Students for a Democratic Society planned to hold started at 5:30 p.m. outside the McNamara Alumni Center, along with other organizations. It's calling on the university to fully fund ethnic and gender studies. There's also a petition people can sign to show their support to stop the cuts.
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