The Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis rated Saint Louis University one of the best places in St. Louis for women to work. The WFSTL sponsors several premier initiatives and programs to bring awareness to issues facing women and help to create solutions and advance women’s experiences and economic successes in the workplace, and one of their main programs is the Women in the Workplace: Employment Scorecard Initiative.

The Scorecard began in 2017, and it “recognizes employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to women in the workplace.” The criteria for recognition includes: leadership roles for women, compensation, work policies that are flexible and provide balance for employees, and female employee recruitment and retention initiatives. 

When asked about SLU’s honor as a top place for female employees, Sara Rutherford, SLU junior and Central Office Assistant in the Housing and Residence Life Department, said that she felt the designation was an accurate one. 

“These past three years working at SLU will make it very difficult to leave come graduation,” said Rutherford. “In my department especially, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by many accomplished, well-rounded women in executive positions. With what they’ve taught me, I’m excited to move into the business world, and for those lessons I’m forever grateful.” 

This is the first time that SLU has been honored on the list, and the university will be officially recognized at the Foundation’s “Making a Difference” event later this year. According to an interview with SLU Newslink, Lisa Dorsey, Ph.D., the SLU Women’s Commission 2016 Woman of the Year, co-creator of SLU’s women’s mentorship program and associate professor of physical therapy, “Being listed among the best places in St. Louis for women to work affords [SLU] an opportunity to tell our story about the good things we are doing and highlight ways to continue to support and advance women.”

The mentorship program Dorsey co-created is called Women Leading Women, and its goal is to “support and advance the career advancement of women at SLU” by sponsoring a workshop focused on the interests of women in higher education. 

Other initiatives at SLU focused on gender equality in the workplace include the university’s family and medical leave policies, university task forces and an upcoming Faculty Fellow for Equity Issues, a position that will strive to “work closely with multiple university divisions and collaborate with faculty, staff and students.” 

The university also highlighted several outreach efforts including the “Get Her in the Game” program, designed to support female student athletes at SLU, as well as the free Well Woman clinic sponsored by the SLU Jesuit Health Resource Center. 

This week, the Center for Service and Community Engagement and the Cross Cultural Center have teamed up to sponsor SLU’s second ever UndocuWeek, a week-long series of events aimed at bringing awareness to the issues and circumstances surrounding immigration in the United States. 

The first UndocuWeek, held in 2019, brought students from all corners of campus together to discuss the challenges that undocumented migrants face due to their status and the state of the immigration system, an ever-increasingly hot-button topic in today’s society. 

For their second annual UndocuWeek, the events were planned and put together by a team of students and SLU Community members including sophomore Andrea Somoza, who is the President of the Caribbean and Latin-American Student Association, junior Grace Kanary, sophomore Joanna Williams, as well as seniors Marissa Ornelas and Jibril Muhammad, both of whom were involved in planning and creating the first UndocuWeek. 

This year’s theme is centered around “Bridging the Gap: Distributing the Tools for Community Empowerment.” According to Joanna Williams, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and an intern with the Center for Service and Community Engagement, the theme is focused on “how attendees to the events can go beyond hearing stories or doing service and start to think deeply about what it means for a community to be empowered, and what different individuals can contribute to that empowerment.”

The first event, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, was Chisme y Comida, meaning “gossip and food.” The event was an opportunity for students to share food together and have a discussion about “community empowerment with the immigrant community as a focus.” 

On Wednesday, CALSA hosted an event called “Barriga Llena, Corazon Contenta” which means “full stomach, happy heart.” This was another event where members of the SLU Community could share food, potluck style and engage in conversations with one another over the topic of immigration. 

On Thursday, the keynote address will be given by Carolina Rubio Macwright, and the following day Macwright will host a Know Your Rights workshop. Macwright was born in Bogota, Columbia, and moved to the U.S. at the age of 20, where she went to art school and then law school. Macwright works as an immigration lawyer, an artist and an activist focusing on immigrant and humanitarian rights. She blends her talents and passions together in ways that reach those in need the most. For example, Macwright has developed workshops that “mix legal rights empowerment and hands-on experimental arts mediums, such as clay and cooking.” 

By bringing together different groups of people through hands-on and artistic expressions, Macwright —and all of the Week’s hosts—are able to educate and empower participants of their workshops.

One of SLU’s newest centers for research, the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, began making its mark on the St. Louis community. The Sinquefield Center was established in 2019 thanks to a donation from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, and conducts research focused on “economic growth and social welfare than can inform public policy.”  

Michael Podgursky, P.h.D., the director of the Center said, “We are gathering longitudinal data on people. For example [the pipeline of] kids to school to work.” Data collected by the Center will range from jobs held by certain people based on their education levels, their gender and other distinctive features down to commuting trends of neighborhoods.

Podgursky said that they were working to obtain data on a large number of topics, from many different unique sources, such as the Dese Department and the Department of Higher Education. The Center will use the data on a number of projects, including the current focus of workforce and educational development. Analyzing and evaluating education and employment data could help to discover what ways the education system can be improved to help individuals and communities grow and sustain economic development. 

“We are interested in human capital development,” said Podgursky. “We want to know where kids [in the education system] are succeeding and failing. We want to find out how we can make education work better in the area.” 

Dr. Takako Nomi, who is an associate professor of educational studies, also works with the Center researching education data, is focusing on the inequalities in “high school-to-college outcomes” from schools and districts across the St. Louis region.

Another facet of the Sinquefield Center’s research is directed towards economic growth projects throughout the area. One of the most exciting opportunities that the Center has for determining if the economic growth is successful is the brand-new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) project being built in North St. Louis. Because the NGA project is an initiative that aims to bring employment and economic stimulation to the communities around it, the 1.7-billion-dollar endeavor allows the Sinquefield Center to have a unique “before-and-after” picture of the projects impact. 

“Imagine throwing a rock into a still pond,” said Podgursky. “That’s what we are doing. Looking at ripple effects and impacts.” 

The Sinquefield Center is also creating opportunities for students and faculty at SLU. The Center is bringing together faculty and graduate researchers from across the University to work on a number of different projects. For example, Enbal Shacham, P.h.D., is using the big data collected by the Center to research the different factors affecting health outcomes in the area. Beyond sponsoring faculty research, the Center hopes to hire more students, both undergraduate and graduate, and get them involved in the valuable work that they’re doing.

Last month, Ameren Missouri, an energy company based in St. Louis, became the latest group to assist SLU in redevelopment projects that are currently underway in the neighborhood after their donation of a 2.1-acre site to the university. 

The site, which sits just past the Metrolink station near SLU’s Medical Campus, was once home to an electrical substation. But after Ameren began using a different substation, the site became a storage place. The property is reportedly worth around $1 million and is part of the University’s Accelerating Excellence: The Campaign for Saint Louis University. The campaign aims to raise $500 million and has currently raised $360 million to date. 

The Midtown area surrounding SLU campus is the site of numerous redevelopment projects that aim to make the area one of the most attractive and exciting in the city of St. Louis. SLU was involved with a number of these projects, helping to make the community around the campus a more developed place to live and work. Nearly $1 billion has been invested in the area for various projects including the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, the City Foundry, the Amory project and the Iron Hill development site. These sites will hopefully inspire new restaurants, retail space, homes, hotels, apartments and medical services to arise in the area. 

According to Brooks Goedeker, the Executive Director of the St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, there are no decisions made on the use of the Ameren site yet. 

The Chairman and President of Ameren Missouri stated that he believed SLU had the “right vision” to use the property in a way that will “complement” the projects currently underway in Midtown St. Louis. 

According to Daniel Monti, Ph.D., a sociology and anthropology professor at Saint Louis University, who specializes in urban redevelopment, SLU-sponsored residential development in Midtown is attractive because residents will see their neighborhood as a part of a large institution. 

“Think of it like a mall,” said Monti, “SLU is like its flagship store.” 

Monti said that the redevelopment of the area is important, because everyone would prefer great neighbors as opposed to vacant space. While parts of the Midtown area have taken decades to develop and become safe investments for developers and institutions, Monti believes that the new projects being sponsored by SLU will be successful in their goal of making this part of St. Louis an even better place to live and do business.

This fall, SLU’s School for Professional Studies introduced the Brewing Science and Operations Certificate program, a one-of-a-kind program that teaches students about the ins and outs of beer production. 

The University is partnered with the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Foundation to design a special structure for the program. It is made up of six courses that focus on educating students about all aspects of the brewing process including: Brewing Essentials, Brewing and Beer Styles, Conditioning/Packaging and Distribution, Biochemistry of Brewing, Flavor/Quality Control and Sensory Evaluation and Brewery Operations and Accounting. 

Faculty includes industry veterans and professional brewers from around the St. Louis Area. The students learn about brewing their own beer and the details of running a brewery. Part of what makes this program unique is the support from local breweries in the St. Louis area. 

According to Mitch Turner, a Brewing Science program faculty member and the Sales Director of the Beer, Wine and Craft Spirits Portfolio at Major Brands, this program is truly unlike any other.

“There has never been a program like this, especially not in St. Louis and really not across the nation,” said Turner. “If you were ever interested in making beer, either recreationally or professionally, this is the place to start. Few programs have this type of local support and allow this kind of interaction [with local breweries].”

During the first course, which was taught by Turner, the main project required each student to brew their own batch of beer. Turner said that the enthusiasm and engagement from students made the class extra special for him. 

“We would get very in depth about all types of different topics, including brewing operations to discussions about why a brewer might prefer cans versus bottles,” said Turner. 

The brewing industry is a large part of the St. Louis economy, with over 70 breweries in the larger St. Louis Metro area alone, according to Troika Brodsky, the director of the program.  Many of these breweries work with the program by allowing students to tour their facilities and learn a little about what makes them successful. As part of the class, students have visited St. Louis breweries like Urban Chestnut, 4 Hands, BrewHub Tap Room, Steampunk Brewery, AB-InBev and Schlafly, just to name a few. 

The program’s connection to the St. Louis brewing market goes far beyond tours as well. The faculty and advisory board of the program is made up of professionals who have careers in the brewing industry, with representation from Anheuser-Busch, Third Wheel Brewing, Schlafly Beer, Square One Brewery & Distillery, Second Shift Brewing and Major Brands Distributing. This kind of faculty experience and guidance for students is a part of what makes the program so strong, Turner says.  

The program is still in its infancy, but, according to Turner, it is growing in size and scope every day. 

“There are small brewers and big brewers involved, and that list is expanding weekly,” Turner said.

The new Brewing Science and Operations program offers students an opportunity to obtain a highly useful certification, one that could help them find jobs all over the United States. 

“There are roughly 8,000 breweries in the U.S. and around 1000 being added each year—many are smaller local pubs, tasting rooms and breweries,” said Turner, “There is a high demand for people in this industry and there are not a lot of programs partnering with breweries like this one. There are so many different jobs and ways to get involved in this industry. There is a strong need for proficient technical workers in this industry, and this certificate provides this.” 

The programs first cohort just finished their first class this fall, with the second cohort beginning in the spring. Turner said that this program is certain to grow, and that there is a large and diverse group of students that are benefitting from the unique information and experience they gain from it. 

“For some students it’s their first time making beer, others are just brushing up. Some are established homebrewers,” said Turner. “Some people just want to learn about it and lots of others want to open a new brewery or pub. But here, you can get this certificate and use it to do whatever you want to do in this industry.”

Last week, SLU students received the bittersweet news that Mona Hicks, Ph.D., SLU’s Associate Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students would be leaving SLU to serve as Stanford’s Senior Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students. As Dean of Students, Hicks has played a role in shaping many campus programs and has been a prominent face of student life and support on campus. Hicks describes her role as Dean of Students as a “calling” and said that being in her role means “always carrying students in your heart and mind.” Hicks has been in her position at SLU for almost 8 years, and she told the University News about her time at SLU and what might be in store for her at Stanford.

Hicks said the beginning of her time at SLU was a special experience for her. During her multiple-day interview, which she described as rigorous, she was able to sit down and converse with student leaders on campus. She said that the Saint Louis University student body were what convinced her that this was a place she wanted to work. 

During her time at SLU, Hicks has been a key figure in creating, developing and fostering programs designed to support the student body. It hasn’t always been an easy task, and according to Hicks, her biggest challenge at SLU has been “building and constructing a sustainable Dean of Students Office.” 

“It didn’t look like this when I got here,” said Hicks. “We still have a long way to go, but I’m very proud of this [the office].”

Hicks said she was also especially proud of the work she did on developing the Undergraduate Learning Outcomes. 

“I’m very proud of having the opportunity to discuss just what we want students to be able to gain from Saint Louis University,” said Hicks. “There are incredible things happening. SLU students are doing incredible things outside of the classroom. We were learning how to integrate those things with what was happening inside the classroom as well.” 

Hicks said the programs and initiatives she was most personally proud of were programs that worked to care for and support students who were often marginalized or isolated on campus, such as the Veteran’s Student Commons and the Billiken Bounty Food Pantry 

“I’m proud of the way we care for students, especially students who are pushed to the margins,” said Hicks. “Like Billiken Bounty, which I hope to be giving to for the rest of my life, can be a model for other things like Billiken 2 Billiken. It’s all about how you connect students to one another.” 

In her new role at Stanford, Hicks will be continuing her work in supporting students. She detailed how the job she will be undertaking at Stanford is unique because around 95 percent of undergraduate students live on campus. 

“It’s such an incredible opportunity with this residential college model to make sure everyone finds their way,” said Hicks. “When almost everyone lives on campus, we want the community where they live to be a positive experience for them. I am excited to be part of that team and to continue to be everyone’s big sister, mom, auntie along the way, just like I have here [at SLU].” 

Hicks said that planning her departure from SLU has been an emotional experience.

“It’s bittersweet. There probably isn’t a day that goes by that someone isn’t crying or I’m crying,” said Hicks. 

She described her job as a calling and said that it was the students who taught her how to do her work, and who held her accountable. Hicks said that lessons on accountability and process were some of the most important things she will be taking with her from SLU to Stanford. 

“I’ve learned that often the process is more important than the outcome,” said Hicks. “I have tried to apply that to every aspect of my life. I always want to be discerning about things. I don’t want to just give an answer, I want to give the best answer.” 

Hicks said that if she could leave a parting message to SLU students, it would be that “Good Health is Wealth.” She said that it is incredibly important to take care of one’s mental health, and to work to be free and happy, so that everyone can find their calling. 

“You’ve have to grind and work, but if there’s no joy, what’s the point?” said Hicks. “Your own spirit is telling what’s happening. You can ignore it or act on it.”

This week, the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement hosted OccupySLU Week to commemorate the 2014 Occupy SLU Protests, which are best remembered for a week-long sit-in at the SLU clock tower. 

In the summer of 2014, the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer sparked a national conversation about racial tensions and systemic racism in the United States. In early October 2014, Vonderrit Myers, the 18-year-old son of a SLU delivery worker, was killed by a police officer. As part of the Ferguson October demonstrations, there was an event held at Chaifetz Arena, as well a protest and vigil for Myers several miles away. Students, community members and activists from these events and elsewhere began to march to SLU and occupy the space around the clock tower.

Many protesters camped out for the week in order to highlight the issues of race, equality, systemic and institutional racism, and the experience of SLU students of color. Daily “teach-ins” were held at the clock tower so that community members could engage in discussion and learn more about the issues. The Occupy SLU protests concluded with the drafting of the Clock Tower Accords—a list of thirteen resolutions aimed at highlighting and solving the issues raised by the protesters. These demands are in various stages of implementation, and in the eyes of many, there is significant progress to be made. 

 Luella Loseille, the Atlas Program Coordinator, was a sophomore at SLU when Occupy SLU took place and is now leading the commemorative programs this year. Loseille remembered the tensions on campus during the protest, and that many people felt the Occupy SLU was an opportunity to finally hold SLU accountable to their mission. While progress has been made, Loseille is still reluctant to say that SLU currently lives up to its mission when “marginalized communities are having horrible experiences” on campus. The current undergraduate population of SLU was not present for the Occupy SLU protests, and Loseille believes that the commemoration of the event is an important step in ensuring that the Clocktower Accords are fulfilled. 

“These problems still persist,” said Loseille. “I think that since Occupy SLU, the university has done a better job of recognizing the systems at play such as racism, classism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, ableism, etc. that influence the decisions and actions of the University. I can attest that some of the conversations we have on campus today probably would not have been common on campus more than five years ago, but there are still many more conversations that need to be had to create and maintain an inclusive and respectful environment for all.”

The events of Occupy SLU Week began on Monday with the annual reading of the speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at SLU. “So many of the things he [Dr. King] expressed in that speech are still so relevant,” said Loseille, “You could take any line of that speech and apply it today.”

On Tuesday, the #ThisIsOurSLU Teach-In was held. At this event, attendees spent time learning about and remembering the Occupy SLU protests. They also participated in breakout groups where they learned about current issues of marginalized groups on campus and discussed ways these issues could be solved. Loseille said this event was designed to mimic the teach-ins held during Occupy SLU.

The theme, #ThisIsOurSLU, is also the theme of a current photo campaign being undertaken by the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement and the Cross-Cultural Center. Photos of SLU students will be posted along with their stories of experiences here at SLU. The goal is to highlight both the negative and positive experiences of SLU students to create an accurate picture of the campus life here at the University.

On Thursday, the final event will be a screening of the movie “Whose Streets,” followed by reflection and discussion of the film’s themes. “Whose Streets” is a documentary focusing on the activists and community members involved with the Ferguson protests following the killing of Michael Brown.

Loseille said that these events are extremely important as the true goals of the Occupy SLU protests have not been fully realized, and it is therefore vital that students are aware of the work that is left to be done. Once students accept the responsibility for bringing SLU’s environment in line with its professed values, they can actively work to effect change through research and education, reversal of personal biases and advocacy work.

It is no secret that SLU is undertaking a number of development projects both on and off campus. One of the most recent projects the University is part of involves redeveloping a part of Midtown. Gate District West, which is the neighborhood housing most of SLU’s medical campus, is the main site of this redevelopment initiative. 

SLU partnered with SSM Health to form the Saint Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, which is the main overseer of all redevelopment or new construction in the 400-acre area that includes Gate District West. The Redevelopment Corporation’s goal is to promote the development of the Midtown area surrounding SLU. 

The Corporation has partnered with the Gate District West Neighborhood Association to develop lots located to the east of the Medical Campus. The project, while closely linked to SLU, is actually being led by the Neighborhood Association itself. The Neighborhood Association has asked for developer proposals for the lot, which they are planning to receive in November. SLU will then sell to the groups whose proposals are accepted. 

The 43 available lots will be sold to develop new residential housing in the area. The neighborhood association will be reviewing the proposals, which will include design and material plans for the new constructions. The request for proposals, or the RFP, has stated that the “new homes should be two stories and match the characteristics of the existing historic homes on the streets,” according to a piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Gate District West has worked for a considerable amount of time on bringing new development projects to the area. In 2017, the Neighborhood Association was re-established, and the Saint Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation has worked with Alderwoman Marlene Davis of the 19th ward to usher in new development to the Midtown area. 

Brooks Goedeker, the Executive Director of the Corporation, used to work with the Washington University Development Corporation in the Grove and Central West End areas. He said that the new project in Midtown is “flipping the script” on how development projects have tended to work in the past. 

“Usually we would buy out slumlords or properties, decide what types of development would be good for that area and then take it to the residents and ask if they thought it was okay,” said Goedeker. “This time we are having the neighborhood association make the decisions from the beginning.” 

Godeker said that many of the residents that live in close proximity to the lots have lived there most of their lives. Allowing them to take charge of who is coming into their neighborhood and developing properties is one of the main advantages of this project.

As well as working with the local neighborhood association committees, the Saint Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corp has a Citizens Advisory Committee, made up of local residents and business representatives. The Corporation is also working with the Chaifetz School of Business affiliate organization Habitat for Neighborhood Business, which works primarily to help “minority entrepreneurs realize their dream to own and operate a business in economically challenged neighborhoods.”

Goedeker stated that the goal of the University and the Redevelopment Corporation is to help “stabilize the neighborhood,” instead of expansion of the University. Along with the new residential developments, the Saint Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation has a vision for the Midtown area as a whole to make it more inviting for St. Louis residents. 

The Corporation is working with other developers in order to encourage new property development in the Midtown area. Projects such as the City Foundry STL project, the Armory District project and a new Westin Hotel project are just a few of the larger plans underway in Midtown overseen by the Corporation. 

“One of the main objectives is to bring in retail services, as well as restaurants, bars, things like that,” said Goedeker. “Grand Avenue actually has the highest bus ridership of any street in the area,” but the city is unable to capitalize on it due to a lack of businesses. 

“While the development of Midtown is good for this area, it is also going to be good for the whole city, having a place where the North, South, East and West sides of St. Louis can converge,” Goedeker said.

Following up on the last issue’s story of the formation of SavingSLU, this article is meant to report on the proceedings of the teach-in of Sept. 25, not to be a commentary on the issues themselves. SavingSLU is an organization made up of faculty members from across campus whose goal is to inform other educators about perceived “threats” to Saint Louis University’s mission.

In the last issue, The University News stated that the organization would be holding “teach-ins” to share and discuss issues that the members of SavingSLU are concerned about. In the  teach-in on Sept. 25, over 40 faculty members gathered to hear presentations given by their peers. After the presentations, open discussion time was allowed for the attendees to share their thoughts. 

Three of the presentations were made available for public viewing on the group’s website. The opening remarks, made by Professor Penny Weiss, P.h.D. of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, focused on the topic of whistleblowers. Weiss described how many people who speak out against an issue may be unfairly characterized as “ill-informed or self-interested or ungrateful, and sometimes there is even retribution just for raising the issues.” 

Weiss also focused on the budget crisis at SLU and subsequent department cuts, stating that “the economic situation keeps most of us, as SLU workers, feeling vulnerable and even dispensable.” Keeping with her theme of the presentation, Weiss urged the attendees to continue their work in discussing issues they felt were detrimental to SLU, ending her remarks with the statement “We cannot afford to be silent, apathetic or misinformed.”

Another presentation, delivered by Professor David Rapach, P.h.D., John Simon Endowed Chair in Economics in  the Chaifetz School of Business, focused on the Sinquefield Donation to the Business School, a topic that Rapach has followed and commented on for a long time. In this presentation, Rapach detailed the “violations of well-established academic norms” that he felt were prevalent in the terms of the Sinquefield donation. 

Other presentations, including one by Associate Professor of Economics  Bonnie Wilson, P.h.D., which focused on governance and leadership, were made available on the SavingSLU website. The group promised to make more presentations available for public viewing as more events are held. 

Since the last issue, members of the administration reached out saying they felt the last report on SavingSLU was “lacking in accuracy and fairness,” but they did not give a comment or statement on SavingSLU itself. The administration has been contacted again to comment on the topic, and the UNews will hopefully have a statement to share in the next update to this ongoing story. Clayton Berry, Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Communications at SLU, told UNews that he would follow up on the issue and comment at a later date. 

The group held another teach-in on Wednesday, Oct. 2, where they discussed feedback on the previous meeting, the recent email from the Interim Provost’s Academic Portfolio Review Committee, general discussion about developments across the University and how to best share information and encourage participation. 

The SavingSLU movement is an on-going process that The University News intends to follow. More to come in the future.

As displeasure with the administration mounts, a group of faculty members across multiple departments at SLU have banded together to create SavingSLU, a website/blog dedicated to calling out issues with the University. The website was created earlier this year and was announced in an email to all Saint Louis University faculty members on Sept. 8.

In the email, the group stated that they were hoping to provide faculty with information “about potential dangers to the best of Saint Louis University.” These alleged dangers included “its strong national reputation, its Jesuit identity, its commitment to provide faculty what they need to flourish and its ability to give all of our students a truly great education,” according to the website.

The group’s core members include professors from the Political Science, Economics, Theological Studies, History, Women’s and Gender Studies, and Languages, Literatures and Cultures departments. The website’s main content includes blog posts that detail issues deemed concerning to the direction of SLU, including inappropriate donor influence and the closing of the Latin American Studies Program at SLU, just to name a few.

In their faculty email, the SavingSLU group expressed concern about the continued budget cuts in many departments, the reduction of hiring and the increase of dismissals of both faculty and graduate assistantships. Because of this, states the group, there are large gaps in the education offered to students, as well as an increased and unmanageable workload on faculty—often without adequate compensation. On their website, the group also claims that the University leadership has violated mandates laid out in the Faculty Manual.

Many professors are worried about the University’s ability to continue offering all of the courses and programs that it currently does. A professor in the languages department, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke with the University News about their concerns that there would be more cuts to departments such as the languages. They specifically mentioned the Chinese program as one that seems at risk of being cut. The SavingSLU organization also singles out the fate of graduate programs as “precarious.” They stated that they were worried the University was only focused on a few programs and were not promoting or supporting other programs sufficiently.

The administration claims that the reason STEM fields are receiving more money and attention is because students are overwhelmingly choosing those study fields over others. However, some humanities professors argue that the University does not promote the humanities and social sciences when recruiting new students.

In his remarks to the Faculty Senate this month, President Fred Pestello, P.h.D, responded to these claims by saying that the humanities and social sciences “will always be critical to SLU education,” and that the reason for such emphasis on STEM and health sciences is led by student interest. 

Pestello commented on the continuing cuts in other departments by saying, “the areas in which we have been trimming have already allowed us to invest in areas that serve our students and our patients… We have also been investing millions of dollars from the Sinquefield Gift in our faculty, who were hired or retained from funds from the gift, and faculty who received research funding.”

However, many professors take issue with the Sinquefield Gift as well, and the influence of donors on certain programs in and in the University and its research altogether.

Professor David Rapach, the John Simon Endowed Chair in Economics in the Chaifetz School of Business, is a member of the SavingSLU organization. On his personal website, he has written a number of articles expressing concern about donor influence at Saint Louis University, especially concerning the recent donation to the Chaifetz School of Business by Rex Sinquefield. The University News sat down with Professor Rapach, as well as Professor Bonnie Wilson, when the news of the Sinquefield donation broke. Rapach and Wilson argue that the influence that Sinquefield has over decision making in requests for funding and in hiring is a violation of academic norms that undermines SLU’s reputation. 

The two are currently working with UnKoch My Campus, which is an organization that works to identify and remove alleged “undue donor influence” in higher education in America. 

They are also trying to construct a database titled the Academic Capture Warning System, which will aim to “provide information on organizations and individuals that have engaged in clear violation of well-established academic norms involving financial donations,” according to their website.

The group of faculty that makes up SavingSLU is working to inform other faculty members about the issues they claim are detrimental to the SLU community. This University News will continue to spotlight this issue in the weeks to come.