During Februrary’s Legislative Assembly, APSCUF delegates approved the following resolution:
Resolution
2/7/15
Whereas music is an important academic discipline, one of the critical subject areas recognized as part of the quadrivium by classical scholars,
Whereas contemporary research has proven that the study of music substantially enhances general intellectual development,
Whereas no “alignment plan” has been presented showing that Music does not aid the University in the fulfillment of its academic mission,
Whereas student demand for General Education offerings at East Stroudsburg University (ESU) remains strong,
Whereas the ESU administration based its decision to eliminate Music as a department and to delete General Education music courses on faulty budget projections, which forecasted a $7.6 million deficit for 2013-14 before a $3 million surplus was submitted in the final budget,
Whereas no budgetary deficit for the current year is projected,
Whereas this decision will eliminate a number of excellent musical groups and ensembles, including the ESU Orchestra and the nationally recognized ESU Chorale Ensemble.
Whereas ESU’s music program has provided especially strong ties to the community, expressed by energetic, emotional testimony at recent Council of Trustees public meetings,
Whereas, to date, more than 1000 have signed a petition urging the President of East Stroudsburg University to end her plans to eliminate Music,
Whereas eliminating music at ESU unjustly causes the retrenchment of two tenured faculty,
Be it resolved, that the Legislative Assembly of APSCUF supports the importance of Music as a discipline at East Stroudsburg and at all of our public universities and APSCUF urges Governor Wolf, Chancellor Brogan, the Trustees of East Stroudsburg University and President Welsh to retain the tenured music faculty and to maintain credit-bearing music courses at East Stroudsburg University and throughout our public university system.