Rutgers saga...continued

Earlier today, I wrote about the plans for the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS) at Rutgers to change its name by dropping Library Studies. As I also noted in that post, there would be a lot of discussion about the proposal.

On one listserv to which I subscribe, someone wrote:

I think that, personally, I can best voice my protest to this name change by not contributing to the Rutgers Annual Fund this year. I have contributed to the Annual Fund every year since I got my degree in Library Science in 1962. However, since the word Library no longer seems important to the Rutgers administration, I don't think that my contribution is that important either.

To that person, via the listserv, I replied:

Withholding contributions or other forms of support as a means of protest can often be very effective. This will make an impact however, only if it is accompanied by a message to the school explaining the reason you are withholding your support.

It was not my intent to get explicitly involved in the SCILS name-change “battle”, I was merely offering some sound advice to the person who posted the message. Having participated effectively in my share of protests, I know that withholding support CAN only be effective if the would-be recipient of the support knows why it has been rescinded. I have given, on occasion, to the Rutgers Annual Fund but not regularly and not in amounts that would make a difference; my withholding that support would be meaningless. In response to my message however, I received a personal note from one of the faculty members at SCILS. The letter reads, in part:

I hope you will re-consider your comments that you made on the [listserv]. We are not diminishing library science or our commitment to library education. Our Department of Library and Information Science will remain -- currently we are thriving and we plan to continue our high quality programs on campus and online. Our commitment to librarianship will never weaken.

We just have so many programs now -- we can't possibly cover all of them in our school's name. School of Communication and Information is something of a compromise name, but it does encompass all our departments and programs in the school.

Please know that we value all of our stakeholders. I'm glad you contributed to the discussion, but do know that cutting monetary contributions only harms students. Virtually all the money that's contributed directly to SCILS from alumni goes to scholarships.

After a fairly quick response from me, affirming my position and restating some of the information I shared via my aforementioned post, another reply:

I respect your opinion, and see that you hold it firmly. However, I think you're reading something into the process that is not there -- that somehow people at Rutgers and SCILS are ashamed of librarians. The Dean's own wife is a leader in the library world.

However -- let me ask you this -- what would you say to my journalism and media studies colleagues who want their names included in the school's name?

So, I decided to do some research (isn’t that what Librarians do?) I don’t necessarily recommend this form of research, but I didn’t have the time to go to the library at Rutgers to get the information that would be needed. I have therefore relied on Wikipedia for the information here:

Although the SCILS was established in 1982, the roots of the academic programs housed at the school date back to the 1920s.

1926 Undergraduate program in Journalism established at Rutgers College

1927 Undergraduate program in librarianship established at the New Jersey College for Women, later Douglass College. This became defunct two decades later.

1953 Graduate School of Library Service (GSLS) opens its doors to its first class of master’s students

1971 Undergraduate major in Communication established

1978 Name of the GSLS changes to Graduate School of Library and Information Studies

1982 School of Communication, Information and Library Studies is established. At the time of its inception, the school offered two undergraduate majors (Communication, Journalism and Mass Media), a master's degree in Library Service, and established an interdisciplinary doctoral program

1983 Names of the departments at SCILS are denoted as Department of Communication, Department of Journalism and Mass Media, and Department of Library and Information Studies

1987 Master of Communication and Information Studies established

2001 Undergraduate major in Information Technology and Informatics begins accepting students

2005 Online Master of Library and Information Science program admits its first students

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Communication,_Information_and_Library_Studies_(Rutgers_University), accessed 02/11/09]

It appears that each of the programs within the school has a rich history at Rutgers, although the program in Communication is the youngest of the three. It is interesting that the youngest program gets top billing in the school’s current name. But for 25 years, the three departments appear to have lived harmoniously with the SCILS name. The name, in my opinion is quite inclusive. Communication and Information addresses the programs in communication, journalism and mass media. “Library studies” is obvious. As information now plays a more prominent role in the school – perhaps in the journalism and media studies department (is that where the pressure is coming from?) they now need to examine this seemingly harmonious relationship.

What are these departments designed to do? I reviewed the mission statements from the respective web pages. They are copied below:

The Department of Communication teaches about the nature and effects of communication on the individual, social groups and society. We emphasize theories about communication processes that involve messages, meanings and media. We also investigate a variety of ways in which communication is practiced in everyday life and the choices about communication that affect individuals and their situation.

[http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/communication/communication-department.html, accessed 02/11/09]

The Department of Journalism and Media Studies is concerned with both the practice of journalism and mass media and the impact of media on society; public policy and understanding; and the planning and development of public information systems. The department has its own facilities for television and radio production and newswriting.

[http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/journalism-and-media-studies/journalism-and-media-studies-department.html, accessed 02/11/09]

You wield it and you are governed by it. You possess it and it overwhelms you. You seek it out and it finds you wherever you are. Information and you - a powerful but complex relationship. The Department of Library and Information Science makes this relationship our focus.

You will learn to lead in information rich contexts and systems: from knowledge management to children's literature; from digital libraries to information technology and informatics; from information interfaces and economics to the design and evaluation of information, information services, and information agencies.

[http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/library-and-information-science/library-and-information-science-department.html, accessed 02/11/09]

I don’t know when these mission statements were written, but it is very evident here – as it is in the reasons to change the name – that the school is not about libraries. Even in the department descriptions there is only one direct use of the “L” word. Communication, media, journalism and information are clearly the focus of the school. The argument was advanced that the name change will be more inclusive of the many programs offered by the school. I’m generally not in favor of lengthy names, but in response to the question, “what would you say to my journalism and media studies colleagues who want their names included in the school's name?” I would reply, would adding “media” to the current name not be an option – School of Communication, Information, Library and Media Studies? SCILMS isn’t a pretty acronym, but is SCI? Or, how about the School of Library, Information and Media Studies (SLIMS)? Is that broad enough, or would the Communications folks be offended?

All this is particularly distressing considering the wonderful press libraries have been getting during this economic downturn. Story after story about the increased use of libraries. Libraries and librarians are trying to make a difference in people's lives. The current state of the economy - as tragic as it is - might serve as a recruitment tool for librarians as people will see - even more clearly - the valuable services we provide.

Ultimately, the Board of Governors will have to approve the change. As I had not planned on getting as involved in the discussion as I am now, I won’t contact them to share my opinion. Even if the Board decides against the name change, the damage is done. The damage is done by the faculty members who voted, by a 3 – 1 margin for the name change. Perhaps these faculty members can put this discussion behind them and focus on what has made the school good – what has made be proud to be an alumnus. I will always be a proud alumnus of SCILS. It may, however, take some time for me to develop some affinity with a new school.

03 April 2009 Addendum. The Board voted to change the name to SCI.

Rutgers saga...continued

Rutgers to change name of library school

In 2008 the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies (SCILS) at Rutgers University celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2009 (or perhaps late in 2008), the faculty members at the school vote, 30 to 10, to remove "library" from the name of the school, making it the School of Communication and Information (SCI).

SCILS Dean, Jorge Reina Schement, writes:

Recently, the faculty of the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies voted to change the name of the School to the School of Communication and Information. I understand there has been some discussion on listservs of the proposed name change, so I want to clarify our collective rationale.

First and foremost, the proposed change of name for the school offers a cohesive identity to the diverse faculty and student groups who make up our community. In the 26 years since the founding of the School, much has changed in the profiles of its faculty, students, and alumni - the new nomenclature reflects the breadth of intellectual emphasis of the research and teaching offered by the faculty. By changing the name, we do not - nor will we - eliminate any focus areas; but, rather, broaden the context of those areas we embrace and include in our research and teaching agendas.

In conversations with colleagues, alumni, and friends across the country, it is clear that the name "School of Communication, Information and Library Studies" is not well understood. For example, how many of our friends know that we have six degree programs? How many know that we graduate about 1,360 undergraduate majors who make up almost 9% of the University's total undergraduate majors? How many know the actual names of our degrees?

• Undergraduate program in Communication: about 760 students.
• Undergraduate program in Journalism and Media Studies: about 450 students.
• Undergraduate program in Information Technology and Informatics: about 150 students.
• Masters in Communication and Information Studies: about 60 students.
• Masters in Library and Information Science: about 560 students.
• Doctoral Program in Communication and Information Studies: about 120 students.
  

Indeed, we are a unique school with a unique story to tell, but the SCILS name has not been effective in helping us tell it. We serve professions ranging from librarianship to public relations, to advertising, to journalism, and scholarly communities and are at the forefront of their foci - a spectrum that embraces the practical and the theoretical. Our community champions librarianship - and we intend to remain that way.

Prior to the vote, I consulted with a number of library leaders, including the MLIS Program Associates, president and executive director of NJLA, past ALA presidents, and others. I believe I have their support, because they understand that success in the 21st century requires us to reposition ourselves within the university and across the country. Our MLIS program will continue to be a keystone of the school. To do so shares our pride and keeps faith with our proud heritage in areas such as librarianship and media, as well as to engage the changing world in which we all work, learn, and live.

With your support, we can contribute, serve, and lead.

Sincerely, Jorge Reina Schement

There are MANY points to be addressed in this message and I'll try to cover some of them.
First, Mr. Schement describes the process as a consultative one. I must admit I was absent from the December MLIS Program Associates (an advisory group) meeting, but there was NO mention of the school's name change in the minutes that have been distributed. It could be that we had a fairly inefficient note-taker.

Heidi Lynn Cramer, president of NJLA writes:

I am alarmed that there is reference to the president and executive director of NJLA in this notification with an implied endorsement of this change. As a New Jersey librarian and SCILS alumni, I personally do not support the change. More importantly, as the president of NJLA, I will bring this issue to the executive board for their response. I can assure you that [NJLA Executive Director] Pat Tumulty and I were not consulted in any way about this proposal.
Heidi Cramer, President
New Jersey Library Association
February 09, 2009

Perhaps Mr. Schement had this on his list of things to do, but never actually got around to doing them.

I'm no statistician but there are, by Mr. Schement's numbers, 2100 total students in the school of which 1360 are undergraduates. Of the 740 grad students, 560 are in the MLIS program. So even though they make up only 27% of the total program (and that is more than a quarter of the school) they account for 75% of the graduate student population.

Those who have been paying attention to the school at Rutgers would have seen this coming for a while though. The undergraduate program in Information Technology and Informatics was added in 2000. It was in that year the school decided they would no longer offer MLS degrees and would offer MLIS degrees. I am a member of the last graduating class to earn an MLS from Rutgers. Earlier last year, there was a hotly debated issue to drop the "library" from the name of the doctoral degree earned by students in the program - even if their specialization was in library science. They would have a PhD in Information Studies or some such. That proposal was defeated after much debate nationally in the library education field and especially in the NJ library community.

This new move, which appears to have support from even some of the library faculty at the school (it would be interesting to see who the 40 faculty members who voted are and how they voted), will generate probably as much debate as did the proposal last year to change the name of the doctoral program. One such library faculty supporter is Claire McInerney, the chair of the LIS Department. She writes, on the school listserv:

Dear Student Colleagues and Valued SCILS Alumni,

I'm writing today as the chair of the Department of Library and Information Science to address some of your concerns regarding the name change to the School of Communication and Information. Let me assure you that the Department of Library and Information Science
is as strong or stronger than ever. We plan to keep moving forward in quality, to maintain our number one status in the school library/media field, and our goal is to maintain our high standards in all areas. We have one of the largest MLIS student cohorts among the ALA accredited schools in North America, so the name change is not about numbers.

The LIS faculty voted for the name change -- nothing is being forced on us. Why did we vote for it? As SCILS has grown, we now have many program areas -- some of the areas like journalism and media studies would like to be included in the name as well. We have an undergraduate degree in Information Technology and Informatics, helping students who are interested in technology learn about the human/user perspective. As a professional school we prepare people to work in public relations and advertising. All these programs could not be included in the name, or it would be a cumbersome string of program names.

SCILS functions like a college -- in some universities it would be a college. We wanted a name that would reflect all of our disciplines within a growing college or school context. Library service, I would contend, is about communicating with library patrons, learning what they need, and helping them fulfill those information, cultural, learning, and entertainment needs. If you attended a communication or media studies conference today, you would see that those fields have many of the same issues and needs that librarians have. We're all about building knowledge through communication and information. Granted, librarians have the additional mission of preserving the culture and other concerns, but you could say journalists have the additional mission of developing the information that is published or broadcast.

I worked as a librarian -- in a high school, in a university, and in public libraries in Michigan and Minnesota... and then did my doctoral research with librarians and executives in industry. Personally, I like the designation "Communication and Information" -- it is elegant but much
more descriptive than the simple "Information" designation that many universities have adopted (Syracuse, Michigan, Washington, etc.). Some Library and Information Science Departments are in Schools of Education. In our school we work in an interdisciplinary environment, so the name is reflective of our colleagues' disciplines too. In fact, we as librarians have expanded our sphere of influence by joining with journalists, public relations people, advertising experts in our school to pursue the ideals of freedom of speech and intellectual freedom -- we share those values across the disciplines.

I'm glad we're able to discuss the name change in a civil way through our discussion list. And it is very encouraging to see the heartfelt loyalty expressed by students we as faculty have been associated with in courses. Although I'm away from the campus today and tomorrow, please feel free to contact me about this issue or others. As we move forward in examining our
curriculum, please know that we will be calling on all who are willing to advise the LIS faculty about the skills and issues that you believe new librarians need in the workplace.
My kindest regards,

Claire McInerney
Associate Professor, Department Chair
Department of Library and Information Science
School of Communication, Information & Library Studies
February 10, 2009

Surely the debate and discussions will continue. Here are a few places where you may follow the conversation: a Facebook group to keep the "library" in the school name; a Library Journal article on the proposed name change; comments on a story in the Daily Targum; and the NJ-SLA blog.

Personally, I'm proud to be a librarian, and am happy to have attended Library School and earned a Masters in Library Science. I have often referred current and future colleagues to the Library School at Rutgers because I always believed it was a quality program that valued libraries, librarians, and librarianship. It seems that value is diminishing. I will now have to think of alternate places to make those referrals, I'm not sure I'll refer anyone to SCI - unless they'll be doing so in the Alps!

Rutgers to change name of library school

Update on Princeton budget woes

In an earlier post, I shared the letter from Princeton University president Shirley Tilghman in which she spoke about the university's response to the current economic conditions. In her letter, president Tilghman noted that provost Chris Eisgruber would send additional details on specific steps the university would take to achieve cost savings. Provost Eisgruber's memo [pdf file] has now been shared with the university community. You're welcome to read the entire message, but the highlights:

• all units will experience cuts in operations budgets starting in FY10 (July 2009);
• cuts may be 5% or 8% depending on whether the funds are general or restricted funds;
• a vacancy management policy has been implemented; all open positions will be reviewed by a university-wide committee before they can be filled; and
  
• the salary increase program for FY10 has been announced (see below).

A rather ingenius salary increase program has been developed that helps to protect the lowest paid employees at the university. For staff not covered by a bargaining unit, the following salary increase tiered structure will apply. Salary increases will be capped at $2,000.

TIER		BASE SALARY LEVEL	PERCENTAGE APPLIED
A		$0-$34,999	3.50%
B		$35,000-$69,999	1.60%
C		$70,000-$99,999	0.717%
D		$100,000 and above	0.00%
Example		If an employee is earning $75,000, the increase will be the sum of percentages applied to each tier of salary for a total of $ 1,820.80 as illustrated below.

PERCENTAGE APPLIED	BASE SALARY RANGE	AMOUNT OF INCREASE
3.5%	$34,999	$1,224.97
1.6%	$69,999-$35,000=$34,999	$559.98
.717%	$75,000-$70,000=$5,000	$35.85
	Total	$1,820.80

Although the university expects to experience some staff cuts, these cuts will not be nearly as severe as some of our peer institutions or as those about which we have been reading in the papers almost every day. After having increased the staff at the university by 1,000 over the past 8 years, we expect to cut about 33 positions in the next fiscal year.

Now for the bad news. As was reported earlier, the university anticipates a 25% decline in the value of its endowment this year. Even with several years of positive returns in the next few years, it will take somewhere between 5 and 10 years for the endowment to return to FY2008 levels. So, while the news is relatively good for FY10, there is no telling - at least now - what the years ahead will bring, but it probably won't be good for a while.

We have reason to be optimistic though because the folks at PRINCO (the university's investment strategists) have done a remarkable job at managing funds in the past and we expect they will do what is necessary to turn the university's financial situation around quickly. We can only hope....

Update on Princeton budget woes