RPI concerns

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1

<p>My daughter is considering attending RPI for the architecture program but we are VERY concerned with all I have read recently about the layoffs, the cutbacks, the lack of Deans in the schools of Architecture, Engineering, and Science. I want her to get a high quality education from a school with an excellent reputation so she can get a good job after graduation. I find all the talk about RPI's poor planning for the future and the disorganization very stressing. Any comments or feedback?</p>

2

<p>See this thread if you haven't already. Very disturbing.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/618701-rensselaer-layoffs.html?highlight=Rensselaer%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/618701-rensselaer-layoffs.html?highlight=Rensselaer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>"I am a sophomore/junior at RPI. Do not listen to these comments that say not to come here. Perhaps these individuals had some bad grades this semester? I am sorry to those who have lost their jobs, but you will see this happening everywhere across the country. RPI is a great school. I don't want to say this, but some of the staff here especially the maintenance staff sits around and does nothing. It has proven there has been an over abundance of people hired as well. Again, I am sorry to those who have lost their jobs but this is the truth. It will be happening everywhere... I will agree with the fact that our president's salary is excessive. I would like to add that the facilities that are built or are being built are very needed and have been all financed through some major donations from people like the Nvidia founder. I would not be surprised if RPI would give these people their jobs back eventually."</p>

4

<p>Greenblue that is exactly why I am so concerned. I read that thread when poking around on CC and that got me going. Then I did some further research in newspaper articles and blogs that were available online. I thought she might get accepted to RPI and get some decent merit money but am not sure if I would even send her there right now with things so up in the air at that school. It really is distressing that they are without deans in 3 of their major departments.
JoshuaGuit I read that quote before on the previously mentioned thread but there is a lot of evidence out there that things are going bad at RPI despite what this sophomore/junior says. It makes me feel a little better but I am very uneasy about RPI right now. Too bad too because my daughter loved it, the field hockey coach seemed to like her and I thought it would be a good fit for her. I am not so sure.......</p>

5

<p>same here, i was actually very excited about RPI and really considered it, but now im not so sure...</p>

6

<p>I really have to wonder, too. I'll be watching to see how this is reported/what the reaction is in the student newspaper.</p>

7

<p>Rensselaer layoffs spark controversy</p>

<p>On December 16, Rensselaer laid off 98 staff members in an effort to handle the financial crisis that is facing the United States. However, in the month following the decision, both students and faculty have voiced their concerns about the layoffs.
Although the Division of Human Resources is not allowed to release the list of the staff laid off due to privacy reasons, cuts were made across RPI’s five schools, and also affected positions in places such as the Dean of Students Office and Archer Center for Student Leadership. </p>

<p>In October, President Shirley Ann Jackson sent an e-mail to the RPI community that stated the Institute was taking proactive steps to deal with the economic crisis, and that it was “necessary that we implement portfolio contingency plans [without layoffs], Institute-wide vacancy management (i.e., a hiring freeze), and attrition management.” </p>

<p>The financial situation of the Institute, however, has grown more dire since October, and RPI evaluated a number of ways to reduce costs, according to a frequently asked questions page on the Human Resources website. Alternatives to layoffs that were explored ranged from furloughs and salary reduction for all employees to a four-day work week; however, the website stated nothing was “sufficient to address our needs.” </p>

<p>RPI has been the focus of local attention, as it is the only college to lay off employees thus far. The College of Saint Rose, Siena College, Union College, and the Sage Colleges have noted that they do not plan to enact staff cuts, while SUNY Univeristy at Albany and Skidmore College have said that they are not sure of their actions yet. </p>

<p>In a survey of over 200 public and private institutions conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Moody’s Investors Service in December, at least 11 percent of schools say that they will have to lay off employees and 26 percent are considering doing so. </p>

<p>Each dean and cabinet member, along with help from Human Resources, evaluated the staffing in their portfolios to “identify which positions could be eliminated with the smallest impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations,” according to the FAQ provided on the HR website. After sharing their recommendations with Vice President for Human Resources Curtis Powell and other members of the President’s Cabinet, each Portfolio Leader finalized their decisions. </p>

<p>Several of those affected have been let go after decades of service to the Institute. Former Director of Technology Commercialization Chuck Rancourt ’70 said he did not expect the layoff to affect him and the “action stung and was very hurtful to me given the extent of my involvement with RPI,” having notably served as a former Rensselaer Alumni Association Board member as well as founder of the Rensselaer Hall of Fame and the current chair of its selection committee. Rancourt was “very disappointed that RPI did not implement actions that would have shared the pain from the economic pressures instead of focusing on the termination of many dedicated and loyal employees.” </p>

<p>Another staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she had given her life to RPI and its students, stating, “We’re supposed to be a family.” </p>

<p>Several also noted the manner with which the layoffs were carried out, some stating that only a short time was given to clear out their desks and turn in their ID cards and keys. “It felt like being at a wake,” according to one laidoff staff member. </p>

<p>Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Relations William Walker and Vice President for Student Life Eddie Ade Knowles, however, stated that the layoffs were handled very compassionately and felt that the severance pay and benefits offered to laid-off employees were very fair. The Institute also hired a Career Transition Consultant who will assist all affected employees with a program as they transition to new employment. </p>

<p>A meeting between the faculty and administration has been called by Jackson and Provost Robert E. Palazzo to discuss the impact of the economic crisis on the Institute today at 3 pm in the auditorium of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. </p>

<p>President of the Faculty Senate Bruce Nauman commented, “Some faculty and staff expressed a willingness to accept a 5–10 percent reduction in pay if that would save the jobs of good employees.” </p>

<p>Questions were raised in particular after hearing about the Institute’s membership donation of $36,000 to the Clinton Global Initiative amidst the layoffs, more than schools like Brown University, Columbia University, and the University of California, Los Angeles; however, in an e-mail to the RPI community, Walker stated that the donation had been paid over the past two years and that “participation in the Clinton Global Initiative offers exciting opportunities for Rensselaer,” citing the Rensselaer Engineering Education Across Cultural Horizons initiative’s growth as one such opportunity that was enhanced by the membership. </p>

<p>Students are rallying to request more openness from the administration following the layoffs. “We want to know that all members of the RPI community are going to be treated fairly,” said Brian Donlan ’10, who organized a group of students over winter break through a Facebook group called “Students Against Financial Mismanagement at RPI,” which at present has 1,035 members. </p>

<p>He continued, “We need to know that the financial decisions that impact every person at this Institute are being made with care, both for the fiscal and human impacts of the decisions.” </p>

<p>This group of students is beginning with a publicity campaign to inform others of the layoffs and financial situation, and is in the process of promoting a petition signed to demonstrate support for their goals. </p>

<p>Also working on a response to the situation is the Student Senate. The group had a long discussion about how the financial crisis have affected students, noting that some students don’t even have an adviser as a result of the layoffs and that some classes will not have TAs due to the lack of funding within departments. </p>

<p>The Senate is waiting to form a response until they analyze “what we can do and what we should do,” Grand Marshal Kara Chesal ’09 said in the meeting. </p>

<p>Knowles expressed interest in working with the Senate, Union Executive Board, and interested students to have a forum focused on informing the student body about the financial crisis and how it is affecting both students and the Institute in general. </p>

<p>Jackson said via e-mail, “We must reaffirm our commitment to one another and to Rensselaer, knowing that we all will have to work harder, and more efficiently, to meet these challenges, and to carry out our educational and research mission.”</p>

8

<p>Hi everyone, I am an RPI alumnus and I would like to clear up some of the misconceptions on this board. Much of the information I have comes straight from the university, as well as senior-level folks I talk to on a regular basis.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The university financial management is the primary concern here -- not because of financial mismanagement, but because they are protecting their core enterprise. Notice that not a single faculty member was dismissed in the layoffs (in fact, only about 80 employees were laid off, mostly in support roles). In addition, RPI has made $5M more financial aid available for students who are impacted by the financial crisis (parents lose a job, lose a house, etc). These steps were proactive, in the sense that many universities are now seeing that 2009 will be a difficult time for aid and budgeting. Just look at Syracuse, who asked their alumni for $2M so they didn't have to kick 400 students out for lack of aid this semester.</p></li>
<li><p>The three acting Deans are all serious experts in their fields: the dean of architecture, Mark Mistur, is an RPI alumnus. David Spooner has been running the school's incredible IT degree program, and is now dean of science. Tim Wei, the dean of engineering, was featured recently in the New York Times for his work on fluid dynamics and the U.S. Olympic swim team. All top experts, not to be scoffed at.</p></li>
<li><p>The deans that left in those three schools each went on to something AMAZING -- opportunities too good to pass up. Alan Balfour, the former dean of architecture, left to return to Georgia Tech as dean of their architecture school. Dean Zhao from the school of science, left to be president of the University of Macao. The dean of engineering, Alan Cramb, was invited to be provost (#2) at Illinois Institute of Technology. These deans did not leave because of problems, and their replacements are incredible educators.</p></li>
<li><p>I wouldn't say things are going badly at RPI, at all. They have nearly completed more than $1B in campus upgrades; from the new performing arts and biotech centers, to the new $100M athletics complex. Application numbers are skyrocketing and the school is offering more financial aid than ever before. They just completed a $1.4 billion dollar capital campaign to pay back the financing on all the new construction -- 9 months ahead of the deadline. Without the new facilities and research investments they are making, RPI would not continue to be a top-tier research university. This is the core enterprise I talked about before. </p></li>
<li><p>I know a few employees who were let go -- while it is distressing, the university did a lot to make sure they were OK. They offered career counseling, extension of benefits and pay (in some cases for months), and even provided reference letters from the senior managers for them. Sometimes layoffs happen, and the judgement should come from the way in which they are conducted -- these were conducted as compassionately as such an act can be, as far as I can tell. Nobody likes doing layoffs, but in this economy, most universities are/will be.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Ultiamtely, the moves that were made were done so to protect the university during the economic downturn. Other schools, like Cornell, Yale, and others have announced reductions in staff and budget. Many other schools have been letting people go, also -- this has not occurred in a vaccuum. </p>

<p>All in all, I would say RPI is a sound investment for any college-bound student. You will receive a world-class education, be supported, and ultimately join the ranks of more than 90,000 RPI alumni.</p>

9

<p>ray;
Thanks for the timely info.
Sounds like RPI is just being proactive.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the info RayofSunshine</p>

11

<p>I'm also an RPI alum and I second rayofsunshine. RPI continues to get record numbers of applications so its academic prestige is growing. </p>

<p>RPI:</a> News & Events - At Rensselaer, Freshman Applications Surge Past 12,000 for First Time in History</p>

<p>It's one of the finest technical schools in the world and a student would be lucky to study there.</p>

12

<p>Thanks for the ray of sunshine Rayofsunshine</p>

13

<p>I guess RPI was just first - read this article about Brandeis University. I find this article even more scary because once this art is sold it is gone forever.
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27museum.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27museum.html&lt;/a>
I also read that Harvard and Dartmouth and a whole bunch of other schools are either laying off or freezing hiring or a combination of both. I guess the bad economy is hitting everywhere.</p>

14

<p>All these schools need to do whatever is necessary to get thru these hard times without jeopardizing their main mission. Teaching.
What worried me the most was the lack of Dean's at the Colleges.
The explanation from ray.. took care of any doubts I had.</p>

15

<p>As the husband of an alum and the parent of a recent grad I second what ray has noted. The core mission of RPI is in very good shape. There has been significant friction between some vocal faculty and Prexy Jackson and she has admitted that improvements in communication between the admin and faculty needed improvement. However she has had a vision for RPI and forged ahead in spite of some faculty objections.</p>

<p>However the quality of education at RPI remains excellent and in most cases quite rigorous.</p>

16

<p>originaloog
I guess a question that I would have is who determines the “vision” of the university.
Is there not some board that the President of the university reports to?
Is she not following THEIR “vision”.
“vocal faculty” worries me.
They often have their self interests in mind and don’t see the “big picture”</p>

17

<p>,“Another staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she had given her life to RPI and its students, stating, “We’re supposed to be a family.”…”</p>

<p>I have generally found that people who express such sentiments are retired at their desks, and should be the first to be shown the door. </p>

<p>A JOB is where you come in and contribute EVERY day. If you don’t, you need to go. There are plenty of others who would do your job well, without whining about " we were family."</p>

18

<p>Just thought I’d share this</p>

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19

<p>Cesium:</p>

<p>Don’t know where you got that but thank you for posting :)</p>

<p>Kgrmom</p>

20

<p>Thanks from me too!! My daughter anxiously awaits March 14th. </p>

<p>I had my concerns about what was going on and this really helps. Now I really hope she hears a positive reply from admissions.</p>