As I reread the recent Sentinel article regarding Tuesday's Trustee meeting, I was struck by something Trustee Gary Paxton said. To paraphrase, he said something to the effect of, "we intend to keep the core campus property together for as long as possible with the hope that somebody will want to run some kind of educational program there." This isn't a perfect quote, but a decent enough facsimile.
What part stands out to you?
To me it's this: ..."that SOMEBODY will want to run SOME KIND of educational program there."
With all due respect to Mr. Paxton, a relatively new member of the Board, the SOMEBODY should have been US, the faculty, staff, and students of SJC! We were dismissed, denied, and derided.
SOMEBODY just doesn't cut it.
SOME KIND of program is no better. The program needs to be one that addresses the unique needs of our community, state, and planet. In my next posting, I'll lay out a vision for what could have been, and could still be if the will exists.
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17 comments:
For those of us who have been watching for several years, sometimes up close and also from a distance, it is not suprising to see where SJC is today. The serious problems at SJC are not of recent doing. Going into debt to build a basketball program was a major mistake and that was way back in the late 80's and early 90's.
Some pie in the sky ideas just seemed to mushroom from there. It is time for everyone to realize SJC is dead and can only be revived if some deep pocket individual came in and took charge. My love for the mission of SJC has not dwindled but it is silly to think it can ever be again.
The closure of SJC is the best opportunity Southeast Alaska and Alaska will have to develop a tribal college. The "leaders" who could do this - who have the connections to money and power - don't get it. They never have and they probably never will. (Years of evidence lead me to believe this.) I'm hoping against hope that some others are taking the long view and are marshalling forces to make a move in the right direction. But after more than 15 years of activism in that direction, I'm not holding my breath.
Why does it make so much sense to re-open SJC as a tribal college? I'll explain that in more detail in another post soon, but in a nutshell, it has to do with more than 130 years of history, the college's mission to serve Native people, an ideal location for a statewide campus, the failure of the university system to do what a tribal college can do best, and the realization that federal agencies now own the core of the campus - and those agencies are inclined to, sometimes mandated to and to some extent required to work with tribes and tribal entities.
There is no kindness or decency greater than people who care enough to act.
Ted
i think he meant to say SOMEBODY with MONEY doing SOMETHING educational
Ted:
Let's agree to disagree...you and I have very different "dreams" as to what SJC's future should look like...as I understand, you would like it reopened as a Tribal College, while I would like to see SJC reclaim its Christian heritage and reopen as a real Christian College.
Either way, we both need to consider some realities that here-to-fore, have not been addressed on SJC Watch:
From my understanding, SJC has never, in its recent history, been a pay-as-you-go institution. When the PCUSA stopped covering the loses and cut funds to its "mission schools" in the 90's, SJC has never been able to balance the books.
So our first question should be: just how much money (annual operating budget) does it require to run SJC? Let me suggest some conservative figures:
Personnel costs: $5.0 M ($35K/yr, $15K tax/benefits, 100 employees)
O & M costs: $2.5 M
Utilities: $1.0 M
Deferred Maint: $1.0 M (3%x$35M plant/yr)
Total: $9.5M/yr. (Assumes 100-300 FTE students)
Costs not accounted for include: Debt Service, Scholarships/discounts, Emergency Maintenance, etc.
The second question relates to the first: just where is the money going to come from? From the above estimates...at 100 students, the cost per student is $95,000 per student. At 300 students, the cost drops to just under $32,000 per student.
Clearly, we cannot expect student tuition/room/board/fees to cover the costs (and since the maximum student body the SJC physical plant can accommodate is 300, it will take several years to reach the 300 student level).
The inconvenient truth is: Considerable subsidies (deep pockets) are required and will be required for the foreseeable future.
So the real question is: Where is the money going to come from and who has the motivation to give it? In my estimation, if SJC were to become a Tribal College, any Christian resources (or church resources that might have been available) will not be there in the future.
John Garrison
Thanks for the perspective, John. I don't know anything about Christian resources, but the Presbyterian sources seemed to have been exhausted. I understand that an institution of higher education affiliated with the Calvary Baptist Church has presented a proposal to the Board. While I agree that they may have substantial resources, and would continue the "Christian mission" of the college, I don't believe they understand anything about the part of the mission having to do ith Native education.
Sheldon Jackson started the college as a training school for Native children. It's whole evolution through high school to college has been as a provider of educational opportunities for Native students. I understand very well that Jackson's real motive was to convert the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian and other Native peoples of SE Alaska to his brand of Christianity. But at this point in history I feel like enough is enough.
Alaska is not a raw territory any longer. There are churches everywhere and anyone who wants to learn about a particular faith can do so in their community.
Further, there are plenty of educational opportunities through the UA system for folks interested in a traditional higher education. The need I see is for an educational program that is grounded in the cultures of Alaska Native people. Illisagvik (the lone tribal college in Alaska) is too far out-of-the-way to appeal to very many Native students. SJC is in Sitka, a place where Native students have traditionally come to attend Mt. Edgecumbe and SJC. Makes sense to me...
Please share more information about the sources of funding for Christian institutions of higher education. While I don't think I will agree that the Christian mission should continue, I'm not sure I'd object too much so long as it is not the main mission of the new college.
My view is probably moot anyway. Native leaders seem to agree with you, and feel that we don't need a tribal college.
I'm about the only clown around who thinks it makes sense at SJC.
At the very least it's good to finally debate these issues with people who actually listen.
Ted: I appreciate your comments and the ability to have a give/take discussion in a rational manner. This summer I addressed the following to Dr Dobler/Mr Scharpe (with no reply). I believe it will be enlightening as to my take on "Christian resources":
Here's what I wrote to Dr Dobler and Mr Sharpe:
Dear Dr Dobler/Mr Sharpe:
I keep the both of you and the situation at SJC in my prayers. I trust that the path forward is becoming clearer each day. I would like to share with you some basic thoughts on a possible path, one that I would be very interested in helping with. As I indicated in my 3 July email, I would be very interested in being part of the rebuilding effort of a Christian college.
I believe that we need to publicly recognize that SJC has strayed from its Christian roots and then to rally support of the Board and the community to recommit to those Christian roots by:
a. Creating a public, board-approved institutional mission or purpose statement that is Christ-centered and rooted in the historic Christian faith
b. Ensuring curricular and extra-curricular programs reflect the integration of scholarship, biblical faith and service.
c. Hiring as full-time faculty members and administrators only persons who profess faith in Jesus Christ.
These steps would open the door for SJC to join the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (www.cccu.org ). By doing so, SJC would be able to call upon CCCU resources. I am thinking here primarily of member institution faculty and staff who could be recruited to serve at SJC while on sabbatical from their institution. It would also open hearts of retirees, missionaries and others to respond to the call to help SJC recommit to its Christian heritage.
Initially I would recruit, beyond the present admin/staff, only committed Christian volunteers to fill out the faculty and staff of SJC. Food and housing would need to be provided, but the costs would be minimal if no salaries were paid. I would envision these volunteers coming from four basic sources: CCCU Sabbaticals (primarily faculty), Retirees (professional staff/faculty), Missionaries (for faculty and staff), and VIMs (where needed). The volunteers would be asked to commit to a period of from one to five academic years.
Classes would be offered for and students would be recruited for one year at a time (freshmen for Fall 08, Freshmen and Sophomores for Fall 09, etc) until the college was built back up to a four year institution. Excess funds (from salary savings) would be used to pay down the debt. As income becomes stable, volunteers would be transitioned to or replaced by paid staff and faculty.
For effectiveness and to save monies, the Student Development Model should be exchanged for the Hillsdale College model (ie Student Development would consist of Dean of Men, Dean of Women, Housing manager, and house parents(missionaries?)...counseling/in loco parentis provided by faculty/staff mentoring).
Clearly, an institution of 300 students (actually any school under 600 students FTE) must rely upon significant outside resources...it can never be self-sustaining. Significant effort must be extended to obtain those resources. Chair endowment (of all faculty and administration positions) would lessen the pressure on the O&M Budget and should be a priority if we are to keep costs low for future students. Student, parents of students and alumni understanding of the fact that others gave sacrificially so that they might attend should engender the attitude that they have a moral obligation to give so that others might have the same opportunity that they received.
If the preceding is along the lines that you are considering, I would be happy to “flesh-out” the ideas that I have expressed. I get excited about opportunities to advance the Kingdom, so I will apologize in advance if I have overstepped my bounds in presenting this to you. I would love to keep the dialog going.
Your servant in Christ, John
Ted: As you can see...this would not be a "half-hearted" effort...SCJ would have to make a major step toward becoming a Christian College. John
Wow, John... It wouldn't be my preference, personally, but I appreciate the degree to which you've thought it all out, and the passion you bring to your Christian perspective. We have in common the fact that our positions seem perhaps too radical to those who could do the most to bring about the changes we seek. And yet, they are probably the only two alternative paths that can lead to a re-opened college.
It's hard for me to to much more than write a note now and then and make some calls - since I'm working full-time in Seattle - but I'll keep doing as much as I can for as long as I can.
Thanks for your efforts.
Ted
Ted: I couldn't agree more! I believe we have proposed the two most likely to succeed senerios. But, I would also agree that there may not be the will nor leadership to pursue either end of the spectrum. Your passion and commitment are also very evident. Thanks for your efforts on behalf of SJC. John
Hey Chris,
Is it a possibility that the Sentinel article could be posted. So we can read it. I'm really interested to read what was said.
If it is too much trouble I understand.
As a graduate of the Outdoor Leadership program at SJC I think this program has or had a lot of oppertunity for attracting students. Being in the lower 48 now no one has heard of anything like the ODL degree.
The issue of retention also needs to be addressed.
Amy
Has a class action suit of former professors and students been filed yet? Who is going to spear-head the suit? Most of the students who were sent to the credit bureau accrued debt from the Brian Chamberlain fiasco. Can students whose books were in the black Fall 2004 after the refunds were given, only to return and have them in the red because the college took back scholarships, be held accountable for the actions of Brian Chamberlain--who was given full authority to award the scholarships and tuition waivers by Administration itself? How can students with this kind of "debt" take action against the college? The college has shown serious legal and ethical problems--do we wait for them to take us to civil court over this debt to show evidence of Financial Aid mis-handling? How would someone get a class-action suit started? What is next?
Former Student
A lawyer friend of mine told me that anyone can sue for anything, at anytime, for any reason. I would talk to a lawyer and see if your case has legal merit. I say that with reservation, because the only way SJ can pay is to sell land...I thought my daughter would go to school in Sitka...
Deferred maintenance 24m estimate 2006.
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Anon: Thanks for the Deferred Maint estimate update. My estimate ($1.0M/yr) was strictly the minimum of what the institution should be putting into the budget each year for deferred maintenance based on a physical plant of $35M. Obviously, there is an immediate need of some serious investment to bring the campus up to speed. Thanks again for the input. John Garrison
John,
I was the head of maintenance the last 4 years of SJC’s life. Depending on who you talked to and depending on if they truly knew how poorly maintained the physical plant was changed the differed maintenance cost estimate. I think a case could be made for more than 30 million. Hames P.E. Center alone needs 5 million. David Sweetland Hall could suck up 3 to 5 easily. The 6 buildings in the quad could suck up 2 million each. In fact Allen needs at least 2 million to finish it. Even Rasmuson needs a million to fix the foundation. Sage could use 1 to 2 million. And that doesn’t count any of the homes or apartments all of which need work.
SAD times,
We as alumni must step up and let our voices be heard. Who cares what SJ opens to, but as long as it opens. Maybe the facts must be put out there and the truth, might be hard to hear. SJ might just need an new president. Maybe a new focus. If it is dead then sell off all the land to the city to develop some reasonable housing for the community. Then pay back the staff. Yes if students have not paid bills, then a collection agency is what is needed. Yes that is a very funny since SJ has outstanding bills, but they must get the money to pay there own bills.
Let keep discussing some ways to help the college. This site is great. Help is in the hands of the ones who care, not just the ones still being paid.
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