By Isabella Darcy
Managing Editor
A proposal to reconstruct the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is currently being evaluated by the campus community. The reconstruction effort aims to address problems unique to HSS, reduce the stress of small HSS programs through resource sharing and more.
Christopher Fisher, the interim dean of HSS, presented the reconstruction proposal to students on Feb. 26 in the Intercultural Center. The current way HSS runs is “not sustainable,” according to Fisher.
“We have to split our resources between all of these departments and there's just not enough resources to go around, so we've been cutting corners, which means, of course, we're giving those departments and programs less support,” Fisher said.
The reconstruction proposal was developed by a committee made up of Fisher, 11 professors, a program assistant and two members of the dean's office.
A significant part of the reconstruction involves reducing the school from 10 departments to six. No major, minor, certificate or class would change under the new model. Rather, the difference would lay within how HSS operates.
Some programs would be housed under different departments in the new model, but would “stay exactly the same,” according to Fisher.
The proposed reconstruction, if implemented, would create departments with numerous programs, with the exception of the department of psychology. (Chart by Isabella Darcy / Managing Editor)
Size and affinity were both factors for where programs are placed in the proposed structure. This approach aims to create more efficient departments.
“When you have small departments and you expect them to do what a big department is supposed to do, you're going to burn people out,” Fisher said. “If you can group those programs together and they can share those responsibilities, it might actually release some stress.”
Reassigning current smaller departments to be programs within larger departments would also make them less likely to be targeted by administrative cuts, because smaller tends to equal first to go, according to Fisher.
Reconstruction could also make registration loads more reasonable for department chairs and program assistants, help each program “play to its strengths” and make HSS similar to other schools.
Some possible disadvantages of reconstruction could include the breaking up of programmatic pairings with histories and connections, increased overall workloads of PA’s and department chairs, and the need to select department chairs, according to Fisher.
While everyone in HSS would in some way feel the effects of reconstruction, PA’s and department chairs would be immediately and directly affected.
With four less departments, HSS would need four less department chairs than it currently has. Department chairs would be selected by faculty and staff within the programs of each department.
HSS PA’s would face reallocation in the case of reconstruction. The departments of psychology and English and world languages — the largest departments — would both receive two PA’s, and the other four departments would receive one each.
Fisher said he would aid PA’s and department chairs in the transition process.
“I would call on the chairs and PA’s to tell us what they need in order to be adequately supported,” Fisher said.
Reconstructing HSS would save the school an unknown small amount of money, according to Fisher, who emphasized that cost savings are not the only reason for the proposed effort.
Since becoming interim dean, Fisher has been tasked with refining HSS under expectations set by Academic Affairs. This is not unique to HSS.
Although Fisher and other HSS committee members conceived the ideas for reconstruction, it is not their call when it comes to whether they get implemented. Rather, the committee's role is to gather feedback from the public about the ideas and then deliver the best option to the president and provost. It has been doing this through presentations to faculty, staff and students.
Fisher will present the committee's ideas to improve HSS to President Michael Bernstein and Interim Provost Suzanne McCotter in early to mid-March, in either a proposal, document or other format if determined necessary.
“I know if we make a decision to stay here [in the school's current structure], the people who make that decision care about TCNJ,” Fisher said. “That’s valid, that’s fine…Everybody who's working on this, whether they agree or not, they all are trying to do the very best they can for TCNJ.”
