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FEATURE FILM
CONCERT
MARRA
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NCAA
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CENTORE
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COMEDIAN
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CIGARETTES
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SPRING BREAK
MARCH MADNESS
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ALYCIA
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Cristal
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PAST ISSUES
Professors' sabbatical will not affect graduates
Harmony Gensch
Exchange Staff
One of the two Political Science Professors here at Franklin Pierce University, will not be on campus the next full academic year; however, affected students will still be able to meet graduation requirements.
Professor Robin Marra will be gone on sabbatical in Fall 2008 and teaching abroad in Athens Spring 2009, leaving just Professor Frank Cohen to teach the Political Science classes. "There are more Political Science majors per full time faculty member than any other major here on campus," Cohen said. However, with the option of various Philosophy courses, as well as the courses Cohen will be teaching, the absence of Marra will not hurt Franklin Pierce students.
Cohen said that the Division Chair is letting him teach just courses within the department, as opposed to half of his course load teaching core classes. "This sort of things happens in all small departments," Cohen said. There will be less upper level courses offered, and substitutions will be made to fit graduation requirements.
Cohen also said that a part-time professor would teach some courses as well. Apparently, the department put in to have a full-time replacement for Marra, but lost out. "We haven't had a full time hire in the department in ten years," said Cohen.
According to Cohen, this situation has happened before; each time either Cohen or Marra leave for a semester, the other is left with the whole department.
Katy Duffey, a junior Political Science minor, said she would miss Marra next year, especially the "unique classroom atmosphere." Duffey said that there is less of a range of Political Science courses offered because Professor Cohen is the only teacher. "They're being really flexible about letting us take classes in other departments for Political Science credit, though," Duffey said.
"Something like this happened in Environmental Science last year," sophomore Chelsea Petersen said. "I couldn't take a couple classes I needed because there was no one to teach it. I had to wait a year, but I needed it for my major." Petersen said that she was able to take the courses she needs to graduate, nonetheless.
Sophomore Jay Sennott, a Graphic Communications major, said he personally was not affected by the sabbatical Professor Diercks, one of the Graphic Communications professors, took this spring to go to Vienna. "It seemed like the department had everything under control, and I could take the courses I needed," Sennott said. "However, the Graphics department does have one more faculty member than Political Science, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out."
Duffey will be able to graduate with her Political Science minor, thanks to help from Professor Cohen. "Most kids should be able to [graduate with a Political Science major or minor] as long as they don’t have scheduling conflicts," Duffey said. She said that there was an email sent out to students with a declared Political Science major or minor detailing appropriate substitutions, such as different sociology and history courses.
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