Northern can't grow by cutting classes

Editor:

The leadership of Montana State University-Northern's faculty union is committed to more class offerings for students and more programs. We are tired of hearing that Northern has to cut opportunities for students. Chancellor James Limbaugh's decision to cancel summer classes is having a negative impact on the hard-working students and their families of Montana.

In Thursday's Havre Daily News Page 1 article, "Union upset after some summer classes canceled," our chancellor claims that only 68 students were affected by closed summer classes. This figure is not accurate as at least another 60 to 70 students typically sign up for classes after April 30. And many more potential enrollees are affected by news that a summer class was cancelled right before it was scheduled to begin or a class was canceled even though it would not begin until July.

Moreover, if these canceled classes were offered, Northern would not lose $82,000 as the chancellor claims. His figure is based on only tuition revenue. But students also pay fees and the state also subsidizes student classes in Montana's universities. The average of all classes offered at Northern before Chancellor Limbaugh started to cut them was over eight. May classes have 15 or 20 students. In any university in the country, larger classes subsidize smaller classes.

The union leadership has requested that Northern's decision-makers hold a public meeting in Havre to explain what steps they are taking to increase enrollment and classes for the citizens in Montana. Northern cannot grow by cutting classes.

Over the last 10 years at Northern, There has been a 30 percent increase in administrators and professional staff, none of whom teach any classes. And this summer classes and programs are being cut without apparent reason.

John Snider

President, MSU-Northern Union Federation