Do you feel like you've been shafted?
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Dear Students, Do you feel like you’ve been shafted? I have always been an advocate for how great of a school Stony Brook is and how much I enjoy it, but as this year has gone on I cannot help but think our generation of students is getting shafted. When speaking with any university administrator, they can whip out some lavish plans for how the current infrastructure issues will be fixed over the next few years. I have to say, I am impressed and I truly believe that when these various projects are over, the students will be comfortable. The question is, what about now? Often the main focus is on how it affects food service and housing, but how about academics? The expansion in enrollment is taking a toll on the quality of our education. We should all be able to get the classes we need to graduate (ever notice how hard it is to enroll in a DEC D class?) and when we are enrolled in a class, have a place to sit and learn. Ever notice that graduate students and adjunct professors are teaching more and more classes? The need for full time faculty is a necessity for a quality education. Anybody out there enrolled in BIO 201? Isn’t it ridiculous that there is a “simulcast” room because if you’re not early for class you won’t have a seat for the live lecture in Javits 100. Then there is the animal of Southampton. While I can appreciate the good intent of expanding to another campus, the toll it is taking on the main campus is just not right. President Shirley Strum Kenny has assured us (University Senate Executive Committee) that none of the money or resources from the main campus are going to Southampton, but that’s just impossible. A sub-committee of the University Senate has been established to look into this. I have been placed onto the committee because this affects the limited resources of our quickly expanding main campus. I can go on and on about other issues connected to this but my personal bickering won’t do much. As we have seen on every facet of this campus, communication has been a disaster. This holds true between students and administration. For the most part, they are willing to listen. I have opened the door for communication; now it is our time to let them know how we feel. What I need from you are personal accounts, continued press coverage, and a rallied effort to apply the necessary pressure to fix the situation. I sit on the committees that make the assessments on these issues, but without your input, they’re just my personal complaints. Please send all comments and concerns to jantonelli@stonybrookusg.org or stop by my office in SAC 202. All of these plans for expansion are great and will lead to the bettering of the university in the long run, but as a current student sitting through this expansion, I often wonder what the plans are for temporary relief. The answer is none. Sincerely, |
