A general atmosphere of disaffection and unease seems to have taken up residence on the Haverford campus. Impressions as to what’s happening are likely as varied as the students, but current life there comes across as unsettled. Gone are the Jack Coleman days – but those were so long ago, anyway.
Let’s hear your thoughts. Current students maybe could enlighten us outsiders. Are the recent short tenures of college presidents the cause or a symptom of a transition causing unease but having the potential to bring forth good results?
Below are links to various articles recently appearing in student media.
http://bicollegenews.com/2018/03/03/whats-happening-to-haverford-college/
http://haverfordclerk.com/honor-code-expires-is-replaced-by-administrations-interim-procedures/
http://haverfordclerk.com/community-members-meet-to-discuss-president-benstons-rejection-of-plenary-resolutions/
http://haverfordclerk.com/open-letter-on-the-shortage-of-computer-science-faculty/
I am a Haverford student and I disagree that there is a “general atmosphere of disaffection and unease.” And in my opinion, the short tenures of presidents isn’t related to what these articles are pointing to. At Haverford, the Honor Code gives students an unprecedented amount of self-governance compared to other colleges. But the fact that students have so much autonomy does not mean that the administration automatically approves what the students want. That is what most of these articles are about–resolutions the students have pushed for that the administration has disagreed with (or is in the process of evaluating).
As for the article about computer science, Haverford does have a shortage of computer science faculty. I would point out that Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore both have this issue, along with almost every school. The department has been working to address it and will hopefully work even harder on it after this letter.
AS a parent of a HS student who is very interested in majoring in CS in college, the last article linked above is very informative.
First link sounds really whiny and petty stuff. Magill is being renovated and updated. That’s a bad thing how? New buildings on campus. That’s a bad thing how?
The honor code is and always has been a changing code. That’s why it is re-ratified each year at plenary. To my knowledge it definitely isn’t the first time special plenary has been needed to reach a quorum.
Interest in CS has blossomed at Haverford as it has at many colleges as evidenced by the number of students signing their name to that letter. I don’t think finding faculty is all that easy for any college when the job market for CS is so strong. I do know recent grads with CS majors who have done just fine, graduating on time with very good post-grad placement. At many colleges and universities, CS is an impacted major and acceptance into the major is restricted. That isn’t something that LACs have usually done but given circumstances in hiring which are largely out of a college’s control, it does make it problematic.
Agree with the above responses – the Haverford student body has an extraordinary power, and responsibility, in reviewing and approving the Honor Code annually. The article which describes the two proposals which the administration did not accept as part of the Code and which led to a gap were: (1) statement regarding financial aid, which the President framed as students wanting the College to “do more” without understanding what the College is doing; and (2) a day of engagement and reflection relating to "identify,"which the President expressed concern was vague and therefore difficult to plan and implement. According to the articles on campus meetings regarding the proposals, the Administration did not oppose the spirit of the ideas.
CS has never been a large major at Haverford, but it has expanded quite a bit over the years. I assume it will continue to do so as more and more students apply for the major. But even with its disadvantages, I know of at least 1 student who landed a really well paying job at Amazon in WA. His starting salary was $95,000 with many benefits. So although the classes may be limited due to a small faculty, it is possible to be successful in the field.