Saunders clears confusion about cuts

USM religion students are disappointed and frustrated that their major study area has been hit hard by budget cuts, but President Martha Saunders said current students whose programs were affected by the cuts will be able to finish their degrees.

"The first order of business will be to discontinue accepting students into the program," she said in an email. "Students currently enrolled will be allowed to complete their studies."

Saunders said the programs selected to be cut were given careful consideration by the University Priorities Council, which evaluated committees and presented reports to administration about where cuts could be made.

"These programs emerged during the University Priorities process," she said. "The Executive Cabinet took the recommendations of the group, consulted with the Academic Deans and applied revenue considerations to come up with the final list."

Junior religion major Molly Richard, however, said the process seemed closed off to students.

"The UPC has seemed very distant," she said. "I don't know them; I never saw them request student input on their decisions. I don't really have a reason to stay at USM now. I think it would make a difference if the UPC heard student voices on the issue."

Saunders' perspective is different.

"I cannot say enough about the usefulness of the UPC," she said. "This group of campus representatives set aside their own personal interests and set priorities for the good of the entire university."

Saunders said the impact of these cuts, aside from saving money, will "refine the priorities and direction of the university."

But students disagree.

"Southern Miss is the Liberal Arts center of the state," said Richard. "And we're losing all of that. These are the programs that make it a unique place to be."

The Hattiesburg American, in a story Saturday, reported that five tenured professors from the College of Arts and Letters have been let go, three of which are from the department of philosophy and religion. These are newly tenured philosophy professors Morgan Rempel and Chris Meyers and religion professor Daniel Capper.

The American's story quoted religion professor Dan Capper as saying, "As young as the religion program is, we were still making money for the university. Religion professors don't make a lot of money, and we taught many students.... The tuition dollars that we brought in exceeded our salaries. We got cut despite the fact that we were bringing in revenue." 

"We should be downsizing the bigger programs before we cut the small ones completely," Richard said. 

Richard added that she had not been informed about who will teach her classes next year. 

"No one has explained how they're going to teach out my major if the teachers are being terminated next year," Richard said.

"I don't know if I should stay at this school," said junior religion major Dylan Harris from Hickory, Miss.

"I chose to go here because of the diversity of its programs and what I'd heard about the professors," he said.

Richard said students are planning to write a letter to the provost.

"We realize there's a lot of departments that will be cut and will want to appeal, but we have to just take our chances and try," she said.

Capper, who started the religion major in 2006, told the American he will appeal his termination. He also told the American he had never thought to come up with a backup plan.

"That's my dream. I was living my dream," he said. "I hadn't considered anything else because I had put 100 percent into my dream job."

Harris said he was upset to hear Capper had been one of professors affected by the cuts.

"Dr. Capper leaving is going to affect so many things," Harris said. "He leads the Amnesty International group, the mystics lounge, the meditation group on campus, and a lot of people look up to him. He's done so much for the world already."

Richard added that Capper was her thesis advisor, and he offered to continue helping her with her research.

"He told me that no matter where he was, he would give me all the help I needed to see it through," she said. "That's when you know someone's heart is in their work."