Chemeketa faculty speak out against layoffs during board meeting

In a beige-toned, windowless room at Chemeketa Community College, Herbert Grotewohl stood before the college’s Board of Education to defend his job as a full-time physics instructor

A few weeks prior, he said, he was among 11 college employees told their positions were being terminated or shortened. In Grotewohl’s case, the position he has held since 2016 was being eliminated due to a lack of physics courses.

“When I mentioned that there were still general science, physics and astronomy courses that I could teach, I was told that they do not count,” he said, taking shaky breath. “Imagine the anger, frustration, confusion and sadness of being told that the physics courses you teach don’t count as physics courses. The very first course you taught in your professional career doesn’t count.”

There are needed courses with students on waitlists that he can teach, he said, and the existing physics faculty is already being asked to work overtime. Without them, students won’t complete their degrees on time, he said, or will find another school to attend.

“I do not understand this decision,” he said. “I’ve lost my trust. It’s not too late for me to regain my trust and keep working here. I hope that careful consideration is taken to analyze the numbers, and for that information to be shared. Without that trust, I won’t be around when there is a recall.”

Voice breaking, Grotewohl finished by saying that everyone makes mistakes, but what’s important is fixing them. He thanked the board members for their time, and then left the room while crumpling his written speech in one hand. He did not come back that evening.

In late January, college administrators notified six full-time faculty that they were being laid off by the end of the academic year, in June. Another five were told their contracts would be reduced to 10 months, one or two months shorter than their original contracts.

College officials said that the decision is the result of budget issues caused by enrollment that has dropped by 50% in recent years and has recovered but still remains 25% below pre-pandemic levels. 

Chemeketa had 9,462 students enrolled in the 4th week of the 2022 fall quarter, two more than at that point in 2021 and 370 less than in 2020. In 2012, the fall quarter saw 16,418 enrolled students, according to data from the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

College officials told Salem Reporter on Wednesday that while the school maintains adequate reserves, they expect a budget deficit of over $8 million in the next year due to low enrollment, which was presented in an Oct. 28 budget update.

According to an updated enrollment report presented later in the meeting, the cumulative enrollment is up by approximately 2.7% since last year, but administrators said is too early to tell if the college is seeing sustained growth.

During the evening, 12 speakers asked them to find another way to save money. The layoffs, they said, would gut social sciences classes and leave students with less support, fewer options and would have an outsized impact on low-income students.

Among those speaking were two instructors who had received notices, eight of their coworkers and two staff from Blue Mountain Community College who endured similar cuts last year.

Chris Nord, speaking on behalf of the Chemeketa Faculty Association, was the first to speak. He had requested earlier that the board respond to a November petition signed by 147 faculty that opposed cutting faculty jobs.

Before the Feb. 15 meeting began, board chair Ron Pittman read a prepared statement regarding that lack of response.

“The board feels it’s premature for the board to respond to the previously submitted petition while budget development is still in the process, because decisions would likely impact all employees, the board believes it is best to have the benefit of all budget information in order to provide a fully informed response,” he said.

In his remarks, Nord said that it is the board’s job to steer the college.

“And right now, we are not heading in a good direction,” he said. “You have a duty to set the course of this college back in the direction it should be, where faculty are empowered and vigorous.”

Traci Hodgson, the program chair of the social science department, said that in two years, the program’s faculty has been cut by one-third, largely from retirements from positions that remain vacant.. 

The entire college had 91 vacant positions as of Jan. 18, including 66 paid for by the college’s general fund.

“Recently, we learned our sole anthropology instructor has been terminated,” she said. “In 2020, we had 14 full-time faculty. By summer, we’ll have 10.”

She said the most recent cuts would impact two faculty members of color.

This year, the program has space for 420 students in anthropology courses, but next year will only have room for 180 due to the retrenchments. They’re also planning to reduce economic courses, despite an increase in student demand, Hodgson said.

“To hurt social science is to stab the heart of the college. And one has to seriously wonder if that action supports students in success,” Hodgson said.

Lori Murphy Cole, an adjunct social science instructor and former administrator, said she has experience laying people off. She asked the board to look for alternatives.

“If reorganization is needed within a program, then reorganize. If student competency is not being met, then fix the reason why,” she said. “If spending is that tight, find places to cut and cut hard. But don’t cut the people in the trenches for whom the students rely and who are the backbone of what we do.”

Two faculty at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton spoke against the retrenchments, citing their observations from five-full time faculty retrenchments their school pursued last year.

Sascha McKeon, Blue Mountain Faculty Association president, said the union filed grievances which were ultimately resolved through retirement incentives and temporary extensions. After the challenges of the past year, she said that morale is at an all-time low and staff are leaving the college.

“Don’t repeat our history. Don’t go through with these retrenchments. They may seem like a solution now, but they are knee-jerk reactions to temporary problems and a decision you will most likely regret in short order,” she said.

Peter Hernberg, the Blue Mountain union vice president, said that if Chemeketa proceeds, from his experience, the school will face a public relations challenge and possible legal action.

Marie Hulett, executive director of institutional advancement, told Salem Reporter in an email on Thursday that board members and the college’s executive team are considering all testimony during the budget process.

“Our decisions are reached based on data and feedback, and we remain committed to our students and employees. We will continue to welcome input throughout the budget process,” she said.

Several college employees spoke on behalf of Alissa Hattman, a developmental writing instructor who was informed she would not be returning in the fall. They said her teaching style in beginner classes has enabled underserved students to succeed.

Her students write resumes, letters to state representatives and more, Hattman said.

“We write about how hard it is to speak up in a room where you don’t feel like you have any power. I try to remind them: as long as you have words, you do have power. A power to change people’s minds,” she said. 

She said that she was devastated by the layoffs, and that the decision to eliminate jobs was reckless. She asked board members to consider the ramifications of their decision, and the impact it will have on students.

“I am grateful for the eight years I’ve spent at this college, but seeing it end in this way, in a small, windowless room with papers being pushed across a table, is disgraceful and makes me deeply concerned about the direction that Chemeketa is heading,” she said.

The board extended the public speaking portion of the session to give everyone who signed up a chance to speak. When they were finished, Pittman thanked them.

“It’s valuable input for the board, and I think for our staff as well. And I do appreciate you taking the time to do that,” he said.

With the retrenchment effective June 30, Nord told Salem Reporter that the affected faculty and the union have until May 31 to present alternatives. 

CORRECTION: Retrenchment is effective June 30, not June 31 as stated in a previous version of this article. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.

Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.

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