We, the undersigned faculty, ask the following from Chancellor Elrod and Executive Vice Chancellor Pearon:

1. Immediate cessation of the Academic Master Plan (AMP).
More than 30 majors and programs are under threat of being cut in the current draft of the AMP. No evidence has been shown that closing these programs would save significant money, and the current budget of the university is not dire enough to warrant the elimination of long-established academic programs. Further, no data have been shared on which the decision to save or eliminate programs will be based. Finally, the recent reorganization of schools and colleges shows that change simply for the sake of change ignores a variety of consequences - from difficulty in fundraising to increased confusion and feelings of isolation in the student body. The entire process needs to be reevaluated and designed to include stakeholders from the community, alumni, and student government.

2. Follow the guidance of shared governance.
The AMP and academic reorganization initiatives ignore best practices in higher education emphasizing genuine and robust shared governance. These are not new practices to circumvent established procedures; there has been an increase in ad hoc task forces, advisory boards, and new councils (particularly the Campus Budget Advisory Council), and with them a decrease in transparency and reporting.

3. Maintain the University’s mission.
There has been an undeclared and imposed shift away from the longstanding comprehensive educational and research mission of IU South Bend. For instance, the mission statement no longer includes the phrase “liberal arts.” Liberal education relies on a breadth of knowledge to prepare students to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. The university does more than provide vocational training. Moreover, it has a history as a welcoming institution with a unique ability to provide an accessible, affordable, and comprehensive curriculum in our regional community.

SIGNATURES (updated every 24-48 hours):

1. Bill Feighery, Professor, Chemistry

2. Jake Mattox, Associate Professor, English

3. Rebecca Torstrick, Professor of Anthropology

4. Jeremy Linton, Professor, Education

5. April Lidinsky, Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies

6. Cynthia Sofhauser, Professor of Nursing

7. Yi Cheng, Professor and Chair, Mathematical Sciences

8. Jay VanderVeen, Professor, CLAS

9. Darryl Heller, Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies

10. Kwadwo Okrah, Professor, Education

11. William Tourtillotte, Senior Lecturer, Fine Arts

12. Betsy Lucal, Professor of Sociology

13. Shahir Rizk, Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

14. Julie Feighery, Associate Librarian, IUSB Libraries

15. Benjamin Balthaser, Associate Professor, English

16. Barbara Mociulski, Senior Lecturer, Fine Arts

17. Marcia Holland, Associate Faculty, English & General Studies

18. Anne Magnan-Park, Associate Professor, CLAS

19. Oscar Barrau, Associate Professor of Spanish

20. Shawn Nichols-Boyle, Teaching Professor, Department of English

21. Josh Wells, Professor of Sociology and Social Informatics

22. Theodore Randall, Associate Professor of Anthropology

23. K. Andrea Rusnock, Professor, Art History

24. Gabriel Popescu, Professor, Political Science/Geography

25. Grace Muna, Professor

26. Matthew Marmorino, Chair, Chemistry/Biochemistry

27. Monica Tetzlaff, Associate Professor, History

28. Chu He, Professor, English

29. Catherine Hebert-Annis, Teaching Professor of Spanish, World Language Studies

30. Warren Shrader, Associate Professor, Philosophy

31. Monika Lynker, Professor & Interim Chair, Physics & Astronomy

32. Michelle Bakerson, Associate Professor, Education

33. Cathy Borshuk, Professor, CLAS

34. Kelcey Ervick, Professor, English

35. Jen Lindley, Associate Faculty, English

36. Christina Gerken, Associate Professor, Women's & Gender Studies (ink signature)

37. Sean Hottois, Associate Professor, CLAS (ink signature)

38. John Thompson, Senior Lecturer, Fine Arts (ink signature)

39. Yvonne Larrier, Professor of Counseling, School of Education

40. Deb Marr, Professor, CLAS

41. Mark Sniadecki, Visiting Assistant Professor, Integrated New Media Studies

42. David Dodd Lee, Associate Professor, English

43. Rebecca Brittenham, Professor of English

44. Louise Collins, Professor, Philosophy

45. Nuran Bradley, Senior Lecturer, Mathematical Sciences

46. Shanqin Chen, Professor, Math

47. Kyle Schwieterman, ACE Teaching Professor, CLAS

48. Kirk Mecklenburg, Professor, Biology

49. Zhong Guan, Professor of Statistics

50. Lyle Zynda, Associate Professor and Chair, Philosophy

51. Dé Bryant, Professor of Psychology

52. Tony Randles, Senior Lecturer, Education

53. David Blouin, Associate Professor & Chair, Sociology and Anthropology

54. Sharon Pape, Clinical Assistant Professor, Health Sciences

55. Dan Holm, Associate Professor, Education

56. Zach Schrank, Associate Professor, Sociology

57. Aimee Cole, Senior Lecturer, Theatre

58. Terri Hebert, Associate Professor, School of Education

59. Julio Hernando, Professor of Spanish

60. Lisa Zwicker, Professor and Chair, History Department

61. Jerry Hinnefeld, Chancellor's Professor Emeritus, Physics

62. Hossein Hakimzadehm, Associate Professor, Computer Science/Informatics

63. Ilan Levine, Professor, Physics

64. Ann Grens, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

65. Paul Mishler, Associate Professor (ret.), Labor Studies

66. Jeffrey Luppes, Associate Professor of German

67. Tim Willig, Associate Professor, History

68. Carlos Lisoni, Assistant Professor, Political Science

69. Andrew Schnabel, Professor, CLAS

70. Kevin Ladd, Professor, Psychology

71. Diane Economakis, Teaching Professor, English

72. Igor Juricevic, Associate Professor, Psychology

73. Thomas Clark, Professor, Biological Sciences

74. Dennis Rodriguez, Professor of Psychology

75. Laura Talcott, Senior Lecturer, Psychology

76. Heather Jones, Senior Lecturer, World Language Studies

77. Mahesh Ananth, Associate Professor, Philosophy

78. Molly Monroe, Lecturer, World Language Studies

79. Jonathan Nashel, Professor, History

80. Rowenna Miller, Visiting Lecturer, English

81. Gregory Dam, Associate Professor, IU East

82. Sharon Jones, Professor, Nursing