Faculty, students speak out after 14 Saint Martin’s professors get ‘terminal appointment letters’
Fourteen faculty at Saint Martin’s University, all of whom are believed to teach in the humanities, have received letters saying that the university does not guarantee them a teaching position after the 2024-2025 school year, according to three people close to the situation.
David Price, who has taught at the Lacey college for 30 years, spoke to The Olympian on Thursday. Price teaches sociology and anthropology and is one of the faculty who received a letter.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but it feels like a huge betrayal of trust,” he said. “To have done this without telling us is horrible and disgraceful.”
University officials at the small Benedictine university have spelled out Saint Martin’s situation in a series of frequently asked questions on the school’s website. They say the school is dealing with a financial crisis caused by lower enrollment, and is facing a budget deficit that is projected to be $4.3 million for the next fiscal year — July 2024 through June 2025.
In keeping with the dictates of a faculty handbook, annual appointment letters were sent to faculty on March 15. But because of the financial situation which could drive academic program changes, terminal appointment letters also were sent the same day, according to an email from interim co-presidents Roy Heynderickx and Father Kilian Malvey to staff that was shared with The Olympian.
The email says that “in the case of academic program changes or restructuring, whether through renaming or combining with another program, the (faculty) handbook requires a year-long process, which is why the terminal appointment letters were sent immediately.”
University officials have declined to say how many faculty received the letters and said it was too soon to say which programs might be affected.
However, information shared with The Olympian and confirmed by multiple sources identified the potentially impacted programs: English, history, political science, world languages, communication studies, anthropology, and women’s, gender, and ethnic studies. Education and religious studies also were affected.
Price says the administration did not follow the faculty handbook.
The faculty affairs committee has elaborated on that point in an email to faculty, staff and Abbey members. It, too, was shared with The Olympian.
“For a financial crisis to exist, it must be demonstrably bona fide within a program, department, college, or school. The FHB (faculty handbook) outlines the process for determining the viability of a program, department, college, or school. Each of these processes requires faculty involvement and review; a clear rationale for the action; as well as budgeting, marketing, and other considerations,” the email reads.
It goes on to say that “over the past year the administration failed to engage faculty in any form of program, department, college, or school review that would satisfy the provisions set forth by the Board of Trustees in the FHB.”
Price said that for as long as he has taught at Saint Martin’s the school has struggled financially, but the university community has found a way forward. Recent acts by the administration have had the opposite effect, he said.
“This is not community,” he said. “This is very destructive to community.”
He also accused the administration of not being transparent with the school’s budget, particularly as it relates to administration costs. He noted that the faculty who received the letters also happen to be active in faculty governance and are not afraid to speak up.
“I do not think that’s a coincidence,” Price said, adding that some of those faculty were instrumental in halting a proposal to rollback raises last fall.
University officials have acknowledged as much in the frequently asked questions.
“When faculty were asked to weigh in on budget-saving measures, they stated keeping the faculty salaries raised to the agreed-upon market rate was the priority. The administration has honored that wish.”
Price said he plans to appeal the terminal appointment letters to the faculty affairs committee, and he expects others to do so too.
“I care a lot about this place,” he said, adding that “we are way underpaid, but we stay here.”
“We get to teach a lot of first-generation students and that’s what keeps me here,” he said.
A student speaks
Scout England, who spent two years at Saint Martin’s after transferring from South Puget Sound Community College, is set to graduate in May with a degree in literary studies.
Over her two years at the university, she took a variety of literature and writing courses. She believes that about 10 professors she had in those two years have received terminal appointment letters.
She called the situation “really upsetting,” recalling that before she came to the private school, she talked with English majors who described the school’s programs and professors in glowing terms.
“And now it looks like it’s going to be gutted,” she said.
More than 150 students have turned to an online platform called Jotform to protest what is happening to the faculty, she said.
England said she is not directly affected by what is happening because she is set to graduate, but she worries about students who have a year or more to go. And she takes issue with the university repeatedly saying they are going to protect the student experience.
How are they protecting the student experience if some programs are potentially going away? she says. “That’s very contradictory,” she said.
England also took issue with a post on the Saint Martin’s Nursing Program Facebook page, touting its program over others at the school.
“You may have seen media regarding Saint Martin’s faculty receiving terminal contracts. NO NURSING FACULTY ARE AFFECTED. It is a small number of faculty in under-enrolled programs who are affected. The Nursing program is thriving and strong,” the post reads.
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