Defeating “Defeatism” in the Struggle to Save Westminster – How About Good Old Fashioned Activism and Protest!

Westminster Choir College professor and alumnus Thomas Farracco recently shared his view of recent attempts of Rider President Dell Omo to market the shuttering of Westminster Choir College Princeton campus to Westminster faculty.  He posted his review of the Dell Omo presentation in our fighting Facebook group: 

Keep Westminster Choir College In Princeton - Activist

With his permission, I took his complete quote and blogged it:

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-faculty-member-speaks-out-on-dell-omo.html

This article about Thomas’s posting went near viral – amassing close to 5000 reads over a 3 day period.  It provided a boost to morale and stimulated some excitement around this cutting edge issue for music, education and higher education.  Most of the responses have been positive toward Thomas and there have been expressions of anger and frustration with the Rider Administration that has been misleading the University  community and the music and arts community about the nature of the issues facing Rider Unviversity and Westminster.

On the other hand, there has been some negative feedback – expressing self defeatism.

No matter what issue is on the floor in what social arena – the first line of defense of the “powers that be” – in this case Rider Administration – is to depend upon self defeatism within the minds of the group being subjected to negative consequences of a power move by the powerful.  That is what is called the “oppressor within.”  Generic examples are clichés like “you can’t fight city hall” or “we must accept that which we can not change” or many other variations.

The second line of defense of “the powers that be” are the naysayers – another example of the oppressor within.  These are the neighbors, the would be colleagues or comrades, those we thought to be friends and the like who will spread evil rumor and innuendo about those that are trying to actually do something – to undermine those that have stepped forward and taken a stand.  I will save the details of how this has transpired within our own opposition ranks for a future article – suffice it to say that this HAS occurred and I for one have been the subject of such trivial attacks.

It is only after you get past these two lines of defense when you get to confront “the powers that be” head on.  Efforts challenging power usually get taken out by these first two lines and that so far seems to be a factor in play for our efforts to block the move.

Since Thomas’s comment was posted in our group and blogged through the blog site there are some who I believe have misinterpreted his intentions and have responded with defeatism.

One example of this – Thomas had paraphrased Dell Omo as stating that his proposal is to either sell the Westminster campus and relocate the program to Lawrenceville or to find another university willing purchase the college entirely.  Some have responded to that by saying – of the two options - as if they are the only two options – the preferred would be for another University to purchase Westminster.  Another example – several seem to be responding along the lines – if this is going to happen any way – then at least Rider should be honest and conduct auditions and campus tours at Lawrenceville instead of continuing its current bait and switch operation with the Princeton campus.  That is a good point – honesty and transparency – are not assets that the Rider Administration places any value in – the assessment unfortunately is accepting the idea of the move as a fait accompli.

IT IS PREMATURE AND SELF DEFEATING TO TALK ABOUT THE MOVE AS FAIT ACCOMPLI

While there have been 1000s of folks expressing opposition to the move – the preponderance of those expressing concern have either neglected and / or spurned an activist – protest – adversarial – street fight form of opposition to the devastating plans of the Dell Omo administration.

When about a dozen students dared to dissent from an obviously administration co-written letter from the SGA that only mentioned the word Princeton once – not even in relation to the campus location – the administration coached SGA with the help of the big “Keep Westminster in Princeton” group – bullied those brave students and created an atmosphere where the idea of protesting the move was held in contempt.  The SGA’s at both the Rider and WCC campuses have played a similar role in the two years prior – over the attempt to end the piano program as well as the attempt to overwhelm the AAUP’s defense of Educational Excellence the year before.  The SGA’s have played a role of controlling and undermining dissent in these recent years and especially the opposition to the move.  In fact the SGA has still not even bothered to pass a resolution opposing the move and offering funds to efforts to block the move!

There has been only minimal support from alumni for the protest option either.  Students need resource – funds – and stipends – in order to effectively organize campus opposition.  If student organized opposition and protest were not important factors in this fight – then why does administration expend so much effort to control the campus opposition.

THE ACTIVIST – PROTEST – OPTION HAS NOT EVEN BEEN TRIED AT ALL – IT IS PREMATURE TO GIVE UP THE FIGHT!

While the student opposition was temporarily undermined . . . it is not too late to refocus.

The following are some of the steps that I believe can help us defeat the administration plans to devastate Westminster Choir College:

1.       Alumni and faculty and parents – can provide resources for stipends, banner and leaflet production and other materials – to fund campus organizers from the student body to organize the campus opposition.

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/hiring-offering-services-education.html

2.       Students and faculty can unite the issues around the Princeton campus shuttering and the attack on quality of education by the administration against the AAUP.

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/time-for-solidarity-with-aaup-no-move.html

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/save-westminster-in-princeton-support.html

3.       Efforts need to be coordinated for full court campus press on both campuses – banners, signs, leafleting, flash mobs, campus meetings in dorms and lecture halls, announcements before classes, chalkboard announcements, sit-ins, a 3 hour march down Route 206 to the gates of Rider campus, dissent wherever Dell Omo shows, etc. – old fashioned democratizing campus protest. 

I know that Rider does not have a rich tradition of campus democracy movements around the many issues facing the youth and students and working people of the day.   Organizing such an intense form of opposition is an immense task.  However, until we have even begun to try to achieve these tasks, we should not announce our own defeat – even in Facebook comments!

A Faculty Member Speaks Out On Dell Omo Marketing of Shuttering the WCC Princeton Campus

The following is reprinted with permission from Westminster Choir College faculty member Thomas Farraco who posted this statement to the group:

Keep Westminster Choir College In Princeton - Activist


It details the antics of Rider President Greg Dell Omo who is meeting with faculty members to market to them the idea of shuttering and selling the Wesminster Choir College Princeton campus.

Anyone who thinks this issue is going away and everything is going to be OK needs to read this!

Those wishing to offer solidarity statements of support of the faculty and student struggle to save Westminster Choir College - send to bwitanek@igc.org ,

Oh and students need to invite Thomas to the lounge for a heart to heart on the fight to save Westminster.

KEEP SHARING AND SPREADING THE WORD!  APPROACHING 5000 READS!

Follow up article:

Defeating “Defeatism” in the Struggle to Save Westminster – How About Good Old Fashioned Activism and Protest!

"Over the past week, President Dell’Omo has been meeting with the Westminster departments. On Monday, he came to voice and piano to let us know where the process was and to answer questions. Although there have been 3 other times selling the campus was considered by the board, the estimated value of the campus is now between 50-60 million dollars, much higher than any other time it was studied. For both the short term cash flow problem and long term health of the entire university, it is being seriously considered now. The full board is meeting this week but he assured us that they are not meeting to make a decision, just to be appraised of where the study is at the moment. They are hoping to make that decision in March. Besides selling the campus and moving Westminster to Lawrenceville, they are or would also consider another institution buying the college, relieving Rider of Westminster Choir College. If the decision to move was made, the earliest it could happen would be the fall 0f 2019.

As you can imagine, the faculty spoke passionately and pointedly about the negative outcomes of moving the campus to Lawrenceville. He listened to it all but kept reiterating that it’s a financial decision. I assured him that if the college was moved to Rider, most of the alumni support, both financially and in student recruitment would be lost, and there would certainly be an enrollment decline which would affect the choirs and perhaps the orchestral associations which are such a crucial part of the Westminster experience and sets the school apart from other colleges and universities. It was clear in the meeting that there will be no major building project to house us, we will be scattered across the campus wherever unused classrooms can be found, with very little thought to what kind of facilities our program needs. For those students who prefer an educational experience at a larger university, America is blessed with many excellent music schools housed in major universities - Indiana, Michigan, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Illinois, Rutgers - you can find wonderful programs in almost any state if that’s what you seek. It would take years to build a reputation to compete with one of those established programs. The excellence that is and has been a hallmark of its programs - an excellence that makes our music education majors sought after by schools, our voice performance majors accepted into major conservatories and apprentice programs as well as finding positions in the academic field, piano majors teaching at many university and community school music programs, conductors accepted into leading doctoral programs and securing academic positions around the country, organists and choir directors in prospering church positions, composers being published and winning recognition – all of this will not survive if moved to a campus that does not have any programs approaching this kind of success, not to mention having a facility that is necessary for the program to exist.

In our meeting with the president and at other meetings I have attended with him over last summer and fall, he stated that one of Rider’s major problems was the fact that the high cost of tuition does not match the perceived value of a Rider degree. Moving a remnant of Westminster there would end a legacy that has affected thousands of people who have come under the influence of our revered programs. I can’t help but end this with the well-known quote from Bernstein “Westminster Choir College provides a great measure of beauty to a world that needs it badly.” That aspect of what we do is totally lost on our administration and the board members who will be making this decision."

Thomas Faracco '71 '79 faculty member since 1983

UPDATE - THE FOLLOWING COMMENT CAME IN:

Although I signed an earlier petition, I find it necessary to comment again after the additional information provided to me through Tom Farraco’s statement. If indeed Rider’s problem is that its cost exceeds its perceived educational value, then an influx of cash, even a large amount, is just a band aid. The financial bleeding will continue, although the immediate problem for Rider’s administration will go away, which is probably the goal. Such self-serving short-sightedness often results in poor decisions. The notion that the campus can simply be moved to Lawrenceville where the physical plant cannot support a program like WCC’s is simply not grounded in reality.

The move to Rider, with no adequate support facilities will kill WCC quickly. Students have too many options to choose a place with poor/mediocre facilities. Alums of WCC have a real and abiding attachment to the Princeton campus and were genuinely excited about the recent improvements to the physical facilities there. To consider squandering the millions of dollars spent on those improvements is appalling, not to mention the affront to the donors. As Tom observed, loss of enrollment will quickly endanger the size and quality of the choirs and therefore the collaborations with major orchestras that have been a hallmark of Westminster’s reputation and of the educational experience offered to its students. I, along with a number of alums I have spoken with, will not support, financially or with student referrals, WCC, in name only, moved to Lawrenceville. We will mourn the loss.

WCC was founded by talented people of faith and vision. I hope that the Rider board possesses more of these qualities than does the administration.

Sincerely,

Wayne W. Gebb ‘74

Hiring? / Offering Services?: Education Quality Organizers Needed at WCC and Rider

HELP WANTED: PT Students to distribute notices and information, coordinate social network outreach, knock on dorm doors, staff information tables and organize advocacy and educational events around issues of Westminster Princeton location and around the issues of administration plans to undermine quality of education through efforts to undermine the AAUP contract.

SERVICES OFFERED:  Students at Westminster and Rider campuses offering services to patrons including Alumni and faculty.   Services offered include distribution notices and information, coordination of social network outreach, outreach to students in dorms and the cafeteria, staffing of information tables and organizing advocacy and educational events around issues of Westminster Princeton location and around the issues of administration plans to undermine quality of education through efforts to undermine the AAUP contract.

If you are a student interested in organizing around the issues of Westminster and / or the issues of quality of education and the AAUP contract across both campuses, please indicate in this event.  If you are an alumnus or faculty willing to contribute or as a member of AAUP – interested in pursuing AAUP funded stipends for student organizers, please also indicate as much in this event.  All should be encouraged to share this article.  

https://www.facebook.com/events/657674911082392/

I am not sure that anything will come out of this but it would be improper for me not to share and promote this idea because I believe it is something that is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL in improving the ability of students and faculty and alumni to protect the future of Westminster Choir College and Rider University.

One of the biggest challenges to building student unity especially on campuses like Westminster, Princeton and Rider, Lawrenceville, where the curriculum is challenging and the costs of tuition and living are so steep, is that students while committed to a better future, have such great demands on their time keeping up with the challenges of their course work as well as trying to work parttime jobs – and if for Rider – for minimum wage pay – that they do not have the luxury of expending hours a day or week on the organizing around the many issues circling the Rider and Princeton campuses currently.

The AAUP is always willing to meet with students to discuss the situation of the university – and to work with students.  From my working with them over the years – I have learned there is a hesitancy to initiate such interaction because the AAUP does not want to come across as trying to be overly forceful in getting its views across directly to the students.  Meanwhile the administration continues to promote its perspectives – using every means – employing the fulltime resources of the vast administrative staff and working through the student SGA organizations to propagate the administration line on matters.

I believe the AAUP needs to move past the hesitancy.  Rider University – through the recklessness of administration – is almost in self destruct mode.  It might not survive another administration attempt to plunder the contract, the administration moves against Westminster and the general trends that private colleges are facing throughout the country – 100s failing in recent years.

Resources on current assault on quality of education at Rider and Westminster:
http://www.rideraaup.net/

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/time-for-solidarity-with-aaup-no-move.html

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/save-westminster-in-princeton-support.html

In order for there to be a significant fight against powerful structures like Rider University administration, be it around the issue of the shuttering of Westminster Choir College Princeton campus or the quality of education and AAUP contract issues, there needs to be significant resources leveraged in this fight. 

As far as the Westminster issue goes, 1000s have been collected for a legal challenge but none have been leveraged to hire organizers at the campus level.  While funds have been amassed for t-shirt printing, the t-shirt job is currently held up since the printer has been waiting almost 2 weeks for Rider to approve that the design is not a copyright violation.  (Rider had already made that approval of the design for a shorter run previously but is now delaying its approval a second time which the printer is requiring.)

But funds have not been pooled to staff organizing of student opposition to the move.  Indeed in order for Westminster to be adequately organized among students – there should probably be about 6 or more students receiving stipends for working 6 – 10 hours per week.  There is nothing wrong with organizers being compensated for doing meaningful work around struggle. 

Meanwhile, it would behoove AAUP to utilize some of its resources to seek and employ student Education Quality Organizers or Advocates.  During quiet times between administration efforts to undermine faculty and education quality (as few and far between as they are) these stipend supplemented staff can organize educational events, forums between students and faculty, promote information about greater student democracy, student issues like perhaps increased minimum wage, controlling tuition and fee hikes, access to clean and free water in dormitories and education about the role of faculty and its representative organization in protecting the integrity of the university. 

In times like now, when the administration has already fired a round of disinformation around the issues of the faculty contract, the stipends can fund activities to organize social networking and face to face sharing of information to clarify and debunk the untruths being promoted by the administration.

As far are remuneration, the stipends offered should be minimally $15 per hour.  Training should be provided and mentors (AAUP officers or staff and community and alumni organizers) should offer support, consultation and advise.

While I get that there is strong likelihood that this proposed set of actions has a possibility of not every coming to fruition, I would be bereft to have this idea and not to share it. 

Indeed I fully believe that this model of organizing is relevant not only to our own campuses here but could prove to be a going forward model for campuses across the country where faculty and students have commonalities but resources are lacking for more effective across the board student organizing and campaigning.

Dell Omo Vows "Compliance" with Counter Immigrant Measures

Sample tweet:
https://twitter.com/bwitanek/status/832076074850906113

ICE
OFF
CAMPUS!

Five days after I publicly brought the question to the floor of Rider University by blogging about the administration’s response to the travel ban  and immigrant crack down:

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/is-rider-cooperating-with-increasingly.html

And 3 weeks almost after Trump launched his travel ban tirade Rider University President Dell Omo has finally gotten around to writing to the students about the situation.

While there is much fluff in his letter – what his letter does not say – is that it will declare Rider University a Sanctuary.  Indeed the key operating sentence of the Dell Omo letter is:

“While we must comply with federal requirements on immigration policies and adhere to all applicable law, we will work to maintain the privacy of our students and employees, and continue to admit students and hire faculty and staff without discrimination.”

That is the bottom line – compliance . . .

Many campuses are going much further and the AAUP since November has adopted taking that very position – they are declaring sanctuary.  

 https://www.aaup.org/issues/sanctuary-campus-movement

The impeccable source of Wikipedia describes a sanctuary university as having the following policies:

”From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A sanctuary campus is any college or university in the United States that adopts policies to protect students who are undocumented immigrants. The term is modeled after "sanctuary city", a status that has been adopted by over 30 municipalities. Proposed policies on sanctuary campuses include:

·         Not allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers onto campus without a warrant.^[1]

·         The refusal of campus police to enforce immigration law.^[1]

·         Not sharing student immigration status with ICE.^[1]

·         Not gathering information on immigration or citizenship status.^[2]

·         Providing tuition support, including in-state tuition rates at public universities to students with DACA status.^[2]

·         Providing distance-learning options for deported students to complete their degrees.^[2]

·         Providing confidential legal support to students with immigration law questions and issues.^[2]

The American Association of University Professors endorsed the sanctuary campus movement on November 22, 2016, and urged colleges and universities to adopt sanctuary policies.^[3]”

This seems like reasonable policy.  The Rider students deserve more than a promise to “comply with federal requirements on immigration policies and adhere to all applicable law.”  In other words – ICE operations welcome at Rider – no warrant required!

Across the whole country and in NJ immigrant agents are knocking on doors, pulling people aside and taking people away.  It is just a matter of time before similar operations are attempted at Rider if a more forthright policy is not adopted by administration.

Dr. Dell Omo, please go back to the drawing board on this and come up with some serious challenges.  Explore the limits and look at the other campuses that are offering greater support to the community and model after them instead of hiding behind a vague law and order proclamation.

Time for solidarity with AAUP! No Move! Good faith!

Proverbial bombs dropping all over Rider - Admin sidestepping elected leadership of AAUP!

Time for solidarity with AAUP! No Move! Good faith!

Support Our Beloved Faculty!

This administration is using chaos and crisis to intentionally destabilize the faculty and students and entire community of both campuses to force us into confusion and precarious existence as a university and community . . .

Time for university wide faculty - student dialogue to plan a unified fight!

NO MOVE! GOOD FAITH! SUPPORT OUR BELOVED FACULTY!

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON???

Details at AAUP - Rider site: http://www.rideraaup.net/

Excerpted:

"Rider AAUP Members,In light of President Dell'Omo's communication to the AAUP bargaining unit, the AAUPExecutive Committee felt that it should send you a response which we believe clarifies ourrecent interactions with Administration and our position. We have also attached a PDFdocument which contains this message.We are disappointed that President Dell'Omo has chosen to violate the long standing practice ofnegotiating with the elected legal representatives of the faculty and instead has chosen to try todivide us by dealing directly with the AAUP membership. Negotiations are most productivewhen each side deals with the legal representatives of the other side.

President Dell’Omo’s claim that the AAUP chose to “break off” negotiations is simply untrue.What the AAUP negotiating team said was that negotiations require that both sides enter into adialog and that we were willing to continue that dialog but that the administration had refused tobargain and instead insisted that we simply capitulate to the essence of their demands. Wethink the words of our correspondence with administration speak for themselves (see below).We also indicated to administration in January that if they indicated a willingness to negotiateand not simply dictate demands, then we were willing to continue discussions.President Dell'Omo claims that his administration is "open and flexible," but as you can see fromour correspondence with administration, the only flexibility they have shown is in subtlevariations of the same draconian cuts to our benefits and pay, and a drastic increase in ourworkload. This lack of willingness to enter into true dialog is now accompanied by threats ofrefusing to negotiate if an agreement is not reached by a certain date.We also reject President Dell'Omo's characterization of our last proposal. We believe that a number of the statements made in that communication were based on information from Rider’s financial management office, and we believe those statements are simply incorrect.It Is important to note that the “projection” which has been repeatedly referenced by PresidentDell’Omo is simply a budget exercise, not a fixed, knowable future as he appears to suggest."

Last 3 years of administration turbulence at the behest of Rider U administration:
http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/save-westminster-in-princeton-support.html 

AAUP Rider statement in support of Westminster:
http://www.rideraaup.net/westminster-choir-college.html 

I am proposing a discussion on Lawrenceville campus organized by Rider Student Union inviting AAUP - lets go low key and get a dorm lounge or unused space and just sort of squat - maybe even a in a publicly shared area . . .

THE WESTMINSTER STAKE

There is no way possible that the move can be blocked without students unifying with faculty over this latest administration maneuver to further downgrade the quality of education at Rider University.  Faculty has clearly delineated a strong and meaningful position against the move. Faculty has the reousrces to fight strong! The effort to stop the move NEEDS faculty support!

But with administration starting this second fire (like it did last year when it tried to gut piano - a strategy launched almost on the first day that Dell Omo walked into his Lawrenceville executve enclave)  it is clear the issues are not and can not be viewed separately.

So the faculty needs to divide its efforts from our fight against the move to shore up the quality of education being undermined via Dell Omo's moves against their full contract package (decimated in similar administration maneuver last year).  

The only way we have a fighting chance on EITHER AND BOTH issues is for students to consider both blocking the move and protecting quality of education (on both campuses) as same struggle - same fight - and to communicate that to faculty through active statements and actions of solidarity.

Dare to Unite! Dare to Win!

Solidarity organized through this FB group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1820836201505158/ 

DID YOU GET YOUR HOUSING DEPOSIT NOTICE?  WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR - DO  YOU KNOW?  WHAT ROOM IN WHAT CITY?

DeVos, Privatization and the Future of Music Educators

The following is an interview with Mitchell Robinson, Associate Professor and Chair of Music Education at Michigan State University, who is active in struggles around school privatization and blogs from http://www.eclectablog.com/author/mitchell-robinson

Over 6000 reads so far  . . . lets develop the thesis!

Anyone that wants to work on this issue further and help develop THE MUSICIAN PROFESSIONAL'S MANIFESTO ON PRIVATIZATION - contact bwitanek@igc.org 

Do you have any general information on the over all trends in support of music education in public schools?

No—since public schools are locally controlled, this varies greatly by locale.

Setting aside for a second the issue of privatization and the drive toward charter schools, what are some of the other factors that have impacted music in public education in recent years?

It all boils down to how much a community values music and the arts—and how well teachers emphasize creativity.

Briefly – for those who are not familiar with the issue of privatization of school systems, can you in just a few sentences summarize what the trend is?  Assume that many of the readers – while music majors and studying for careers possibly as music education professionals – might not be following the developments in public education.

The reform community sees the schools not as a public institution, but as an untapped profit center. The schools are worth billions per year in investment potential, and the right sees this as an underutilized business opportunity. Their goal is to redirect public tax dollars to private bank accounts—it has nothing to do with kids or learning. Essentially, they view the schools as a business opportunity, and are dying to get their hands on that money.

What are some of the first things that happen in public districts being privatized that might impact the music teachers?

An emphasis on the “basics”, to the exclusion of subjects other than math and reading, and a drastic narrowing of the curriculum. An obsession with testing and accountability. A focus on “metrics” and “data” rather than children.

What are some of the different ways a music teacher at a public school might be rewarded and treated differently if at a charter or privatized school? 

Since charters and private schools tend not to include music as much as public schools, music teachers are less likely to be present in private schools.

The NAFME organization tried unsuccessfully – from review of their website – to get answers from DeVos as to how music might fare – do you believe her appointment as Secretary of Education will have an impact?

Yes—she gives the administration “cover” to pursue their agenda of seeking vouchers. While the DoE is likely to be less powerful in the post-ESSA era, as more control is ceded to the states, the federal government can still induce states to pursue their reform agenda by dangling grants in front of cash starved state governments.

I do think that the bruising confirmation process, which required the VP to cast the deciding vote for the first time in our nation’s history, makes DeVos a weakened SoE as she takes office.

But was not the previous administration also pro-privatization?  How might DeVos be different?

Yes, it was. The 2 big differences with DeVos are her emphasis on vouchers and religion. DeVos will work to blur the lines between the separation of church and state in her attempt to increase “Kingdom Gain.”

Which direction do you see the trend going in the immediate years to come?

I’m not optimistic in the short term—DeVos and Trump don’t understand or value education, and don’t care about public schools. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the DoE shut down, which would have a huge impact on civil rights and protections for special education students.

Is there any immediate hope for any dramatic turn around in this direction?  What would need to happen for such a turnaround to occur?

Not a lot, I’m afraid. A turnaround will need to come from an organized resistance movement, which we are starting to see. DeVos may motivate Democrats and progressives to unify, and present an organized response and push back to the conservative agenda. And a big Democratic turnout in the midterm elections in 2018.

What stake do current college under grad and graduate students who are studying with hopes of entering the music education profession in the developments in these regards?

They need to make the pivot from advocacy (NAfME’s stance) to activism. Teachers tend to avoid politics—those days are over. Everything we do—or don’t do--as teachers is political. It’s time for teachers, and teacher candidates, to step up and speak out with one voice.

What suggestions do you have for these students and how can they get involved?

Join their state and national professional organizations (i.e., NAfME, ACDA, ASTA), and force these groups to take a more activist stance in terms of political action. The days when teachers could sit on the sidelines are over. We need to get in the game before it’s over.

WCC Housing Deposit Notice and a Letter

Students / parents,

Anyone that gets a similar letter in to cashier - please  contact bwitanek@igc.org - confidentiality if requested will be honored.

UPDATE February 14, 2017

Still no reply.  I might give it another day or two and then go all Michael Moore on the cashier's office (and wherever they send me) - going there with a video helper and ask the question - can Rider guarantee that 2017 - 18 will be 100% at Princeton?

I am thinking that suggestions that the announcement of the sale might be delayed into March might be to accommodate the Housing deposit collection which is due March 1 - ever think of that?

UPDATE February 13. 2017

After one full business day, the cashier's office has not answered the inquiry as to what exactly the deposit is for - what housing in what location.

That could mean:
1. She did not get to it yet.
2. She is checking with legal / administration to see how to answer the question carefully.
3. The administration could be withholding the information since it wants to keep all options (including immediate vacate of Princeton property) open.
4. Perhaps administration will simply ignore the question since I am the only one who has asked it in connection to the housing deposit - and if they lose our deposit it is less of a burden than if the student body were to know what the true plans are for 2017 - 2018 WCC location.

Hopefully at least one other student or parent will write a similar letter very soon!

Did you get your request for housing deposit yet for Westminster Choir College 2017-2018 school year?

Please check out the template for a letter below.  I have sent this letter and will share the information I receive.  No answer I will assume to mean that Rider is not making any guarantees for 2017-2018 school year.

It would be awesome for sure if other parents or if students were to send a similar letter.  This is one 

language the administration might understand – the language of housing deposits possibly being delayed and the idea that students and families might be evaluating their options. 

I hereby invite others to join me in sending a similar letter – you can borrow the text, change it as you like or write your own letter.  I strongly recommend that the suggestion of not fulfilling the deposit in your letter to catch the attention of administration.  Of course the other bills will soon be trickling in – I recommend that everyone know exactly what they are paying for and to ask administration.

If you decide you want to stay even if the campus moves – there is nothing wrong with that – but it is best to know what you are deciding upon when you start plunking the deposits down.  When you are ponying up, it might just be the best time to ask!

Activist Approach to Fighting the Move, JOIN:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1820836201505158/ 

LETTER TEMPLATE:

Sent to: melas@rider.edu CC: mshaftel@rider.edu; president@rider.edu ; gdellomo@rider.edu

Dear cashier’s office,

Recently, I received a bill for a deposit to reserve a housing spot for the 2017- 2018 school year at Westminster Choir College.

Given the tenuous position the campus and college, as well as Rider University currently is in, before we make any commitment to housing on the Westminster Campus, we would like to know exactly what will be the housing situation.

Does Westminster Choir College and Rider University guarantee that the housing will be on the Princeton campus for the complete 2017-2018 school year?

Is it possible that 2017 fall will not be  in Princeton?

Is it possible that 2018 spring will not be in Princeton?

Is it possible that there could be a mid-semester move during either of those two semesters?

Will all the classes, programs and services, at the current service levels, be provided on the Westminster Choir College Princeton Campus?

If you do not know the definite answer to any of these questions, an answer that you can commit to, please let me know that you do not know or you can not commit to a Yes on any of those questions.

Basically you have asked for payment and I am asking, payment for exactly what?

That is certainly a reasonable question.

Please answer as soon as possible so that I can consider exactly what we are paying for before submitting the housing deposit.

Sincerely,

cc. President Dell Omo
Dean Shaftel

Is Rider Cooperating with Increasingly Repressive Measures on Foreign Nationals and Immigrants?

Rutgers Uniting to Demand Sanctuary

Anyone that wants to follow up with raising this question with Rider University - contact bwitanek@igc.org

UPDATE February 15, 2017
President Dell Omo wrote a lengthy letter to the campus 5 days after this article was first published and almost 3 weeks after the enactment of the travel ban.  While it contained the expected Kumbaya - the poignant sentence that sums up Rider's position is:"While we must comply with federal requirements on immigration policies and adhere to all applicable law, we will work to maintain the privacy of our students and employees, and continue to admit students and hire faculty and staff without discrimination."

This is far short from what can be done - the AAUP nationally has endorsed the concept of "sanctuary campuses" which includes:

http://riderstudentsunion.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-days-after-i-publicly-brought.html 

Original Blog article:

When Trump signed the legally questionable travel ban orders trying to keep people from 7 countries from traveling to the US – initially including current VISA holders – it touched off a firestorm of protests by 10s of 1000s at airports and also on college campuses.  As a response – there has been a call on many campuses including Rutgers University for Sanctuary – which means for those colleges to refuse to cooperate with repressive measures of government targeting foreign nationals and immigrants.  Campuses have for years been providing data to the federal government and searching their student data bases for people whose names are similar to those that are on travel ban lists.  The full implementation of the Trump order will likely expand this kind of collaboration with such repressive measures.

In addition to the travel ban, Trump is preparing extremely repressive measures targeting alleged undocumented residents and a wave of severe repression is already starting to build.  To be clear, while these repressive measures are escalating, past administrations including the Obama administration also conducted massive deportation drives.

The raids are expanding daily:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/federal-agents-conduct-sweeping-immigration-enforcement-raids-in-at-least-6-states/2017/02/10/4b9f443a-efc8-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html?utm_term=.35fc854099c3
(Apologies if WaPo tries to hit you with a view toll,)

More background - no toll:
http://www.colorlines.com/articles/court-says-no-muslim-ban-immigration-raids-ramp

No fee:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-federal-immigration-raids-20170210-story.html

The university cooperation with such measures not only impacts students but impacts some educators who hail from the targeted nations.  Further – the general unity of the campus is disrupted if part of the community comes under targeting.  It can lead to levels of distrust between part of the community and the administration.

Here are some links of how some campuses are dealing with the increasingly repressive climate toward foreign nationals:

http://college.usatoday.com/2017/01/29/how-universities-are-responding-to-trumps-travel-ban

http://college.usatoday.com/2017/01/30/coalition-universities-petition-trump-immigration-order

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/01/30/higher-education-leaders-denounce-trumps-travel-ban

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/01/the-sanctuary-university-issue-is-not-going-away.html

Has the question been put to the Rider Administration?  Has anybody at Rider or any organizations called for non-cooperation with these repressive measures targeting immigrants and foreign nationals?

Rider being a private university receives less support from federal and state government than the state and county colleges.  Therefore it can be better positioned to refuse cooperation and to declare sanctuary status – without risk of such funding.

Working to bring about such opposition to the repressive measures can work to unify the campus and bring folks together around a common goal – while opening up opportunity for social connections for sectors of the university community through such working relationships.

I am interested in feedback and in seeing what students and faculty are thinking about the University position on these matters.  

Westminster and Devos or . . . Are We Not Musicians?

Follow up to this article:

DeVos, Privatization and the Future of Music Educators

Only slightly off topic . . . or perhaps very relevant given the career choice of many Westminster Choir College students. Slightly less relevant to the struggle to save Westminster Choir College . . . but perhaps very relevant to the individual lives of many current students and a very significant proportion (wonder if that has been studied) Westminster alums . . . the confirmation of DeVos as Secretary of Education. I went googling Music Devos and did not come up with much. NAFME had a page where they petitioned just trying to get her to answer some questions and a brief exchange between her and Sanders about music. Her answers were fluffly - insubstantial - not demonstrating any real interest or knowledge about music or music educaition. https://www.nafme.org/nafme-members-receive-answers-music-education-questions-confirmation-hearing-betsy-devos/

Many believe DeVos will dismantle public education, some suggest completely. She is not alone in the quest to shift the control of public education (and the billions spent on it) from public to privatized and Charter School system. Many of the Senators that voted against her - NJ's own Booker included - have worked with her on Charter endeavors in the past.

The shift has been bipartisan with many overwhelmingly Democratically controlled cities (not the least of which Chicago) have been the biggest transformations to a more privatized system.

So how does this all affect the current student body? How does it affect the alumni - likely 1000s who are employed by public school systems and presumably charter systems too. An awesome discussion it would be to get public school teachers to share their experience as well as private charter school teachers. This discussion could inform the current students also about how to chart their education careers. And it might arouse some interest in monitoring and commenting on the developments affecting public education. It might even become important to fight for future jobs by advocating for protection of institutions that could come under Devoid-ment,
(The current Westminster situation suggests that we should get much better at monitoring and being proactive on situations - especially as fast as things are moving right now.) Would be curious to know what the thought process is for alums in all educational positions on the future of the profession of music - if it will be impacted by shifts in political power - or given social and economic developments - even war. It seems like everyone has done a real good job at trying to keep the issue of Westminster disconnected from the political environment under which it has transpired. But is that the most wise thing to do? There is time to focus and keep extraneous issues out of discussion when directly confronting the facts (or lack there of) of the situation with Westminster campus possible closing. But there is also time to explore the possible connections between what is happening at Westminster - which directly is harming the future of music education in the country and world - but what other things going on are having parallel deleterious impact on the future of this profession.
Impoverished cities across the US struggle to maintain the barest minimum of music programs, often having to rely on grants and donations to eek by. There are many organizations like NAFME out there that fight for greater support for music in public education. At the risk of sparking discussion, maybe even debate, I would like to invite commentary on this broader topic. Are the institutions that the music profession depends upon endangered? What are the experiences of public school teachers, teachers at private and publicly supported charter schools? What are your ideas and thoughts about what the future will be - short and long term - if things will get worse - how bad and for how long - etc.? For students - are you thinking about the developments and how they might impact future prospects? Are you angling at all - accordingly?

And - the general question - is what is happening to Westminster part of an over all dissolving of support for the highest quality of music education? Your thoughts . . . One bit of feedback I received from Mitchell Robinson, Associate Professor and Chair of Music Education at Michigan State University, who is active in struggles around school privatization and blogs from http://www.eclectablog.com/author/mitchell-robinson is as follows: "Private K-12 schools tend to offer less music and the arts than public schools, so the more private the system becomes, the less pervasive music will be in schools. I imagine that private teachers will take on more of the burden for providing music instruction to children, with the inevitable socio economic barriers that implies--the wealthy's kids will have access, poor kids will not."

SAVE WESTMINSTER IN PRINCETON – SUPPORT OUR BELOVED FACULTY – TWO SIDES OF SAME COIN!

The two most important components of the fight to save Westminster Choir College on its current historic Princeton campus are the students and the faculty.

For now I am going to focus on the beloved faculty of Westminster Choir College and Rider University.

For those who can remember issues beyond the current annual Rider University crisis (third major administration created crisis in as many years) – back to last year – let’s be clear:

The beloved faculty and staff of Rider AAUP SAVED Westminster Choir College in 2015!

Dell Omo had basically just arrived at Rider and immediately went to work with a broadside attack on Westminster Choir College – by attempting to tear out the Piano Department – an instrument and discipline so important to Choral development.  While many opposed the attempt – that definitely was an indicator of the hostility of Dell Omo and his administration toward Westminster.  In addition he had launched an attack on about a dozen majors on the Rider Lawrenceville campus.

As the administration currently is working to undermine student dissent from its plan to sell off the Princeton campus, last year a Westminster Choir College Dean pressured the student that started the first piano petition to totally change the language of the CHANGE DOT ORG petition – rendering it to barely understandable gibberish – after 1100 had signed!

The beginning of the story of the reckless assault on Westminster and Rider by Dell Omo in 2015 goes back another year to 2014.  Like this year – Rider administration was doing its chicken little routine claiming that if the University does not take severe action to undercut the quality of education and the quality of faculty – it was in danger of going under.  The administration was pulling out all stops and attempting to force a strike – even reaching out to potential “rent-a-scab-prof” agencies with the idea that classes would be held anyway once they force the strike.  The administration thought process was no doubt that such a forced strike would unite parents and students (with the help of administration friendly student groups) against faculty causing it to crumble.

However – the AAUP – Rider Chapter showed impeccable unity.  For my part – I sent the administration a letter supporting AAUP which was quickly put up as a petition garnering around 700 signers – including many parents and students.  My son Robert Colby-Witanek and I organized a teach-in with leaders of faculty in the Seabrook Lounge, gave picketing lessons on the Lawrenceville campus and distributed 100s of fliers on both campuses calling for a Student Strike of scab classes should the administration succeed in forcing a strike.

On the way to Lawrenceville with 500 printed fliers – we received notice that the administration had blinked and it was pulling back on the most dreadful parts of what it was trying to force faculty to accept – AAUP – Rider had basically for the most part won the challenge.

Fast forward to 2015 – with all of the tremendous anxiety and tension imposed by the fledgling Dell Omo administration – it was the AAUP – Rider that literally SAVED Westminster Choir College – by saving the Piano Department and the other majors.  Dell Omo – the clever wrecking ball that he is – was able to leverage his nuclear threat against Piano and the other majors to force AAUP to grant concessions on many of the issues it had protected through the unity the prior year.  AAUP basically took the sword to save its positions – to save piano and essentially delay the downfall of Westminster – to save the other majors. 

Most students, alumni and other observers are unaware of the tremendous sacrifices made by AAUP Rider.  While many students celebrated the halt to the majors cuts – I am told that the AAUP meeting hall was not celebratory – it was basically a morgue – when it voted to give up so much of its contract – a contract that literally protects quality education at Rider.  Rider AAUP members are the unsung heroes of the Piano and other majors battle of 2015.

Now here we are again.  Dell Omo is once again swinging like a wrecking ball – this time even more ominously – threatening to basically sell off the entire campus and once again administration is playing its Chicken Little routine to try to convince everyone that the destruction of Westminster is the only way to save Rider.  Unfortunately – as in prior years – the administration refuses to release the data behind its dire predictions – and working through student organizations is telling us to basically take their word for it.

Right now we are in a position to recognize that an alliance with AAUP Rider is THE ONLY WAY FORWARD for this fight – it is the most important alliance for us to develop and protect.

This statement from Rider AAUP is probably one of the most cohesive and informative and solidly pro Westminster Choir College statements.

http://www.rideraaup.net/

As we oppose the Dell Omo wrecking ball assault on Westminster – we need to recognize the toll this will likely take on the faculty and staff of both campuses.  We need to do a better job in speaking to the real issues for our best allies the AAUP and to incorporate a list of demands that recognizes the importance of faculty of both campuses to our mission.  It is not just the WCC members of the Rider AAUP that are speaking out loud and strong against the destruction of Westminster – it is the entire membership through its Executive Committee.

As we said in 2014 when we rallied parents and students to oppose the administration attacks on the most important component of the education providing side of Rider and Westminster – we need to once again say loud and clear that WE SUPPORT OUR BELOVED FACULTY.

Every chance it gets - AAUP Rider makes clear WHICH SIDE IT IS ON in this historic struggle - from a recent Rider News article:

Jeffrey Halpern, chief negotiator for Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), said the administration has looked into a one-campus model three times previously; each time, it decided there would not be a significant enough net in profit. He also thinks the costs of replicating the facilities on that campus would outweigh any money saved.

“The Westminster program is the best program we have at Rider,” Halpern said in a Jan. 31 interview. “Our institution has a number of good programs, but you can only name one that has reached the highest level of international recognition. That’s Westminster.”

“These projections by the administration are not facts,” Halpern said. “When somebody gives me projections that turn out consistently wrong, when I look at the projected budgets, they are inflated based on the information we have. It just doesn’t jive.”

There are some that mistakenly try to blemish the good programs of Rider Lawrenceville and the good work of the Lawrenceville faculty in their rhetoric against this administration assault on Westminster – this must end.  It only plays into divisiveness and serves only the interest of the administration that would love to see a rift between the faculty and those fighting hard to save Westminster on its historic Princeton campus.

So instead of supporting these divisive statements – let us work on a set of demands that will work to build a united front against the reckless wrecking ball approach of the Dell Omo administration that  sees the legacy of Westminster as the goose that lays the golden eggs and it is ready to gut the goose because it thinks it can harvest the gold that way.

These suggested demands are a proposal – and I appreciate feedback on them.  You can provide feedback in this group under the posting of this article – which will be pinned for a day or two.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1820836201505158/ 

LETS MAKE SOME DEMANDS!

NO TO ANY MOVEMENT OF THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR CAMPUS FROM ITS PRINCETON LOCATION

NO TO ANY CUTS OF ANY EDUCATIONAL POSITIONS OF WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE

NO CUTS TO ANY MAJOR, DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM OR OTHER HIDDEN DOWNSIZING UNDER THE GUISE OF THE MOVE

PROTECT ALL JOBS OF THOSE WHO PROVIDE SERVICES AT WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE PRINCETON CAMPUS

FULL FUNDING AND FULL COMMITMENT TO ANY AND ALL GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP PROGRAMS AT WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE IMMEDIATELY AND INTO THE FUTURE

FULL COMMITMENT TO THE PIANO, ORGAN AND SACRED MUSIC DEPARTMENTS AND ALL OTHER MAJORS

ALL STUDENT ACTIVITIES FEE FUNDS MUST BE RELEASED TO FUND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE OPPOSING THE DESTRUCTIVE MOVE OF WESTMINSTER