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UTK Audiology and Speech Pathology Program Update
Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2008/06/14 - 10:32am.
There was a rally Friday in support of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Program at UT.
A reader attended and provides a brief report.
100-150 people in attendance. There was a petition to keep the services at the center. The "clause" says UT has to keep the bldg. for these services, but it doesn't specify quantity, etc. So they can really do almost nothing if they choose. Also, the "clause" doesn't protect all the programs, the degree programs may be discontinued and there will only be clinic service. Everything is still up in the air!
Submitted by Lisa Starbuck on Sun, 2008/06/15 - 1:00pm.
As suggested on the Save ASP website, I sent an email to various UT decision makers asking them to save the clinic. Years ago my brother benefited from the program there.
Here is a reply from Interim Chancellor Simek.
------------------------------------------------
Dear Lisa:
I appreciate and understand the concerns you have expressed regarding budget cuts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The proposal now under consideration is based upon the harsh economic reality of having to cut $11.1 million from the campus budget for fiscal year 2008-2009. Central to this approach is the primary focus on the education of our students and limiting the impact on the availability of classes, class sections and laboratory time. For these reasons, we feel it is best to avoid across-the-board cuts that could broadly impact many programs and students.
The central campus administration will absorb more than 60 percent of the overall cut by placing a charge back on our auxiliary units and by reducing planned maintenance and repairs, contracted services, travel and purchases of technology and other instructional resources.
In the academic arena, we have proposed the phase-out of three academic programs -- a decision that was not made easily or without significant concern for students, faculty and staff. We recognize the significant value of these programs. I want to stress that the phase-out will take several years.
If the proposal passes, we will work diligently to help currently enrolled students complete their degree plans in a timely manner. During the phase-out period, faculty and staff will continue to deliver courses, advise and provide other services.
Meanwhile, a more than 40-year-old agreement obligates UT to operate the Hearing and Speech Center through 2057. I am exploring options to fund the center, including seeking partnerships with other public or private entities.
As the Board of Trustees considers the proposed cuts, we will continue to monitor feedback and do our best to inform all concerned parties.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. I appreciate your dedication to the programs of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Submitted by UT Budget Critic on Fri, 2008/08/08 - 1:02pm.
This is the same kind of template reply that everyone who has emailed Petersen, Simek, Bursten, and the Governor has been receiving all summer. It says nothing other than the UT administration is not willing to budge an inch and by extension, is not looking at alternatives to killing the UT ASP academic programs.
I particularly loathe the statement Simek made in this, which is part of the mantra they've all been reciting: "If the proposal passes, we will work diligently to help currently enrolled students complete their degree plans in a timely manner. During the phase-out period, faculty and staff will continue to deliver courses, advise and provide other services."
That is complete crap. Current and prospective students in the ASP programs know that the ASP academic programs are facing elimination. The non-tenured faculty and the staff supervisors are beginning already to look for work elsewhere. These programs cannot be continued long enough to allow all current students to graduate. ASHA (the national organization of audiology and speech pathology) has very stringent accreditation guidelines regarding graduate education.
If the ASP programs are eliminated on Oct. 23, department employees will start going elsewhere, and soon, key areas required by ASHA for accreditation will no longer be taught. Therefore, graduate students would have to transfer to other ASP programs to graduate. This all plays into Petersen's hands.. the sooner the academic program is incapacitated, the better.
Petersen, Simek and Bursten have already made much headway on their elimination, because they've caused this long-standing, effective, high-lauded academic program a great deal of damage by keeping it in limbo from June 20 through October 23.
They are not saying a damn thing publicly about the budget cuts, and they are not talking to ASP officials, although the Trustees specifically asked Petersen to come up with alternatives to cutting the program. He's sitting on his butt and going to go back to the Trustees on Oct. 23 and tell them nothing can be done, and for the good of the University, the ASP programs have to be cut.
Petersen wants to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on Cherokee Farm, ORNL/UT-Battelle, and on the Neyland Stadium Master Plan. He doesn't want to spend any "unnecessary" money on the main UTK campus academic programs.. things like faculty positions, office supplies, and raises for deserving and underpaid faculty and staff. Read David Patterson's article. Link...
Delays in, or revisions to, these massive projects and their concommitant outlays would free up millions of dollars that could be used to improve the main UTK academic operations. These three programs on the block could be saved, and vacant faculty positions across the board could be filled.
Why is it so important to President Petersen that the Audiology and Speech Pathology programs be eliminated? If a true answer could be found to that question, much about the inner political machinations of UT could be learned.
As suggested on the Save ASP website, I sent an email to various UT decision makers asking them to save the clinic. Years ago my brother benefited from the program there.
Here is a reply from Interim Chancellor Simek.
------------------------------------------------
Dear Lisa:
I appreciate and understand the concerns you have expressed regarding budget cuts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The proposal now under consideration is based upon the harsh economic reality of having to cut $11.1 million from the campus budget for fiscal year 2008-2009. Central to this approach is the primary focus on the education of our students and limiting the impact on the availability of classes, class sections and laboratory time. For these reasons, we feel it is best to avoid across-the-board cuts that could broadly impact many programs and students.
The central campus administration will absorb more than 60 percent of the overall cut by placing a charge back on our auxiliary units and by reducing planned maintenance and repairs, contracted services, travel and purchases of technology and other instructional resources.
In the academic arena, we have proposed the phase-out of three academic programs -- a decision that was not made easily or without significant concern for students, faculty and staff. We recognize the significant value of these programs. I want to stress that the phase-out will take several years.
If the proposal passes, we will work diligently to help currently enrolled students complete their degree plans in a timely manner. During the phase-out period, faculty and staff will continue to deliver courses, advise and provide other services.
Meanwhile, a more than 40-year-old agreement obligates UT to operate the Hearing and Speech Center through 2057. I am exploring options to fund the center, including seeking partnerships with other public or private entities.
As the Board of Trustees considers the proposed cuts, we will continue to monitor feedback and do our best to inform all concerned parties.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. I appreciate your dedication to the programs of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Sincerely yours,
Jan Simek
Interim Chancellor
This is the same kind of template reply that everyone who has emailed Petersen, Simek, Bursten, and the Governor has been receiving all summer. It says nothing other than the UT administration is not willing to budge an inch and by extension, is not looking at alternatives to killing the UT ASP academic programs.
I particularly loathe the statement Simek made in this, which is part of the mantra they've all been reciting: "If the proposal passes, we will work diligently to help currently enrolled students complete their degree plans in a timely manner. During the phase-out period, faculty and staff will continue to deliver courses, advise and provide other services."
That is complete crap. Current and prospective students in the ASP programs know that the ASP academic programs are facing elimination. The non-tenured faculty and the staff supervisors are beginning already to look for work elsewhere. These programs cannot be continued long enough to allow all current students to graduate. ASHA (the national organization of audiology and speech pathology) has very stringent accreditation guidelines regarding graduate education.
If the ASP programs are eliminated on Oct. 23, department employees will start going elsewhere, and soon, key areas required by ASHA for accreditation will no longer be taught. Therefore, graduate students would have to transfer to other ASP programs to graduate. This all plays into Petersen's hands.. the sooner the academic program is incapacitated, the better.
Petersen, Simek and Bursten have already made much headway on their elimination, because they've caused this long-standing, effective, high-lauded academic program a great deal of damage by keeping it in limbo from June 20 through October 23.
They are not saying a damn thing publicly about the budget cuts, and they are not talking to ASP officials, although the Trustees specifically asked Petersen to come up with alternatives to cutting the program. He's sitting on his butt and going to go back to the Trustees on Oct. 23 and tell them nothing can be done, and for the good of the University, the ASP programs have to be cut.
Petersen wants to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on Cherokee Farm, ORNL/UT-Battelle, and on the Neyland Stadium Master Plan. He doesn't want to spend any "unnecessary" money on the main UTK campus academic programs.. things like faculty positions, office supplies, and raises for deserving and underpaid faculty and staff. Read David Patterson's article. Link...
Delays in, or revisions to, these massive projects and their concommitant outlays would free up millions of dollars that could be used to improve the main UTK academic operations. These three programs on the block could be saved, and vacant faculty positions across the board could be filled.
Why is it so important to President Petersen that the Audiology and Speech Pathology programs be eliminated? If a true answer could be found to that question, much about the inner political machinations of UT could be learned.
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