Dear Editor:
I am a third-year student at Lock Haven University majoring in secondary education/social studies and minoring in geography. When I first visited Lock Haven University back in February of 2018, I immediately knew that it was the school for me.
The admissions staff, faculty, student workers and many others who my family and I interacted with that day gave us the assurance that Lock Haven University was the place for me.
The classes I have taken and the professors I have met have allowed me to excel in my classwork over the past three years. These professors have become my mentors and I hope to stay in contact with many of them after my graduation in 2022.
One of the best perks about Lock Haven University is the size of the student body. The population is not too large nor is it too small. Professors know their students by their names, which in my opinion, boosts students’ learning abilities.
Many of us students chose Lock Haven University because of this key reason and some of our mentors may be leaving the university — not by choice.
Recently, I have been made aware of faculty retrenchment, and the elimination of majors/programs at Lock Haven University. I also understand that these directives are coming straight from the chancellor’s office in Harrisburg.
I feel strongly about these directives because the elimination of majors/programs can potentially impact myself and many of my peers. The lay-off of 47 faculty members also upsets a lot of us, students.
These professors are our academic advisors, lecturers, researchers and most of all mentors. They are full of knowledge and have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today.
The faculty members are neighbors in and around the city of Lock Haven as well as Clearfield at our branch campus, and many have families. Eliminating these positions would create more harm than good for not only the university but for the community as well.
This past year has challenged all of us to work through the hardest of times. Students and professors have been faced with tasks that are unprecedented; but through countless hours of hard work and determination, we have overcome the unimaginable.
Faculty members have poured countless hours into adapting to this temporary, new normal, and have done more than required to make sure that their students are getting the best education possible.
All students in the PASSHE schools are taught to never give up and to work through the hardest of times. I hope that you can do the same to preserve academic majors and the jobs that many professors have worked so hard for at Lock Haven University.
Kyle Schlecht
Altoona, Pa.