By Riley Dauber
Editor-in-Chief
The Board of Visitors and Governors met on the morning of Feb. 22 in Hynson Lounge. The regular session, which lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m., provided the committees and representatives with an opportunity to share recent meeting reports and discuss concerns surrounding the hiring freeze, budget deficit, and recent diversity, equity, and inclusion limitations.
During committee reports, Academic Affairs and Student Success chair Kirk Johnson addressed the need to reduce the number of faculty due to struggles with enrollment.
Johnson said Washington College budgeted for cutting five positions but now must make ten faculty cuts in response to budget and student-to-faculty ratio concerns.
“[Provost Dr. Kiho Kim] started the process a while ago to determine which courses in which majors just don’t attract enough students to be [a] cost benefit,” Johnson said. “Teaching a class with four students is not what the students or the faculty want, so those issues are really dominant.”
Johnson also mentioned the five hires that occurred before the hiring freeze. According to prior Elm coverage, the departments of Political Science, English, Biology, and Environmental Science and Studies hired professors to fill gaps in their areas of study.
Five professors also recently received promotions or tenure: Dr. Meghan Grosse in the Communications and Media Studies department, Dr. Flavio Hickel in the Political Science department, Dr. Carrie Reiling in the Political Science and International Studies departments, Professor Audrey Weil in the Psychology department, and Professor Caroline Le Bon in the Business Management department.
Academic Affairs also discussed concerns surrounding DEI initiatives at WC and on college and university campuses in general. According to a Feb. 14 letter from the Department of Education, academic institutions can no longer treat people differently based on race. These new laws specifically target DEI programs, believing that they favor some students over others based on race.
“DEI programs, for example, frequently preference certain racial groups and teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not. Such programs stigmatize students who belong to particular racial groups based on crude racial stereotypes,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor wrote in the letter.
These new laws will go into effect two weeks after Feb. 14. Dr. Kim has been the interim Assistant Vice President of DEI since Dr. Alisha Knight left the College spring of 2024. This position is now at risk due to this executive order.
President of the College Dr. Mike Sosulski addressed higher institution issues, including inflation and increased costs. He has been working in Annapolis to argue that smaller universities with less than 5,000 students should receive money from the Sellinger Grants. 85% of this money goes to scholarships for Maryland students, but this pool has been cut in half. The group is proposing another 50% cut, making it a quarter of what it once was.
“I even got some time with the governor the other day to put in a quick word about how important this is and pretty much the universal response has been a positive one in the sense that it has felt quite authentic when you sit down with these folks. They understand us. They know who we are,” President Sosulski said.
Financial Affairs and Operational Sustainability Chair Peter Maller also discussed ways to reduce expenses, including payroll cuts and focusing on retention rates among the freshmen and sophomores. One solution is encouraging students to declare their major during their sophomore year to help commit them to their program and academic goals.
The College also signed a contract for the Lamont property recently and is looking to improve the River and Field Campus, specifically the regenerative farm and the bird banding station.
Despite these budget concerns, admission numbers have been increasing, according to Admissions Committee chair Ryder Daniels. 3,200 interested students completed applications this year, and the College has improved the FAFSA process to financially support interested students and their families.
Clifton H. Miller Dean of Library and Academic Technology Mary Alice Ball mentioned faculty concerns, including retention and retirement funds. She praised the number of student internships on campus and the numerous opportunities for students to collaborate with faculty members.
Staff Council Chair Hilary Bateman spoke on behalf of staff, who are concerned about the lack of control and honest communication from the board and faculty at the College. She asked for improved trust and transparency among the staff and faculty, especially in response to the upcoming hiring, budget, and DEI changes.
“They’ve expressed a real desire for honest communication, and they really appreciate direct, actual information, as most of us do,” Bateman said. “We are fully aware of the tough situation that we’re in. Most of us have been there before at WC, but we’re here for WC and for our students and want to do everything we possibly can.”
Associate Vice President for Advancement Emily Kate Smith discussed reconstructing the alumni board and improving connections between students and alumni.
The meeting concluded with an update from outgoing Student Government Association President senior Miranda Parrish. She previously mentioned concerns surrounding mold in the HVAC units on campus but said the work orders and maintenance improvements over winter break have solved the issue.
The SGA is also hiring a new President, Vice President, and Speaker of the Senate for the 2025-26 school year. Parrish concluded her update by praising the new campus pub, The Golden Goose, and how student life experiences have improved on campus.
The next BVG meeting will take place in May, but the solemn issues addressed at the most recent meeting will continue to be topics of conversation at the College moving forward.