We have all been there. Late nights in the library, all-nighters in the study lounge, standing in the coffee line 15 minutes before a big exam trying to wake up enough to take it. We work like crazy for roughly four years, all trying to reach the ultimate goal of graduating with a degree. Now what would you do if all that hard work and dedication went down the drain? If you strived for something with all your heart and soul only to never reach the end? That's exactly the predicament theatre majors at Longwood are facing.Due to issues with the budget, adjunct professors have been cut. This means that there is a heavier course load on the professors who are left, which results in classes not being offered in a timely manner. As it stands, theater majors will have to take at least nine semesters of classes to graduate. That means it is impossible to graduate on time. What makes the situation worse, however, is that the program is about to lose its accreditation. As theatre majors describe it, without accreditation the degrees are worthless. Employers don't care about them. Yep, you read right. These kids are going over the four years to get a degree that won't even mean anything in the real world. How on earth is this fair? And where does this leave kids in the program right now? Longwood's got unique general education requirements that don't transfer to other colleges. So basically, to go somewhere else you have to start over from scratch. And to stay here leaves you nowhere.
"We are losing our accreditation with the national association of theater schools so not only my degree is not going to be as influential when looking for possible job opportunities but also all alumni's will as well," explained freshman Tyler Reeves.
Reeves went on to say, "I'm not getting my money's worth being at Longwood being I have to go for four-and-a-half years and I'm not getting a true degree thereof there is no incentive for me or any theater student in my position to stay here because if we transfer we are still going to have to go for the same amount but we are going to get an accredited degree ... it's going to deter other people from coming to Longwood."
Reeves is lucky because he is not looking to be a professional actor or technician. He is more interested in working with the government, in terms of grants and proposals and working with nonprofit organizations. He did express that those who really want to go as a professional actor/actress are at a large disadvantage.
"It irks me to think there are some areas of the school throw so much money at.[Look at] keeping up with being Division I even though we are not even conference we are still Division I. The facts show that sending the basketball team to Nevada for a game. One game could basically fund an entire adjunct professor for a year. It's things like that that really make you think about how well our budget is actually balanced and looking out for the concerns for the university as an academic establishment as opposed to just a place to make some money for some people."
Reeves is not the only one who is upset about the recent changes. At the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, I believe I recall about dozen or so theatre majors coming to express their concerns. See the SGA notebook for a more detailed response on what was presented to the senate. I completely understand the university is being hit hard with budget cuts. Perhaps it is na've of me to complain without offering a solution, but that's exactly what I am going to do.
I know we are feeling a pinch, and I know some things are going to have to go. I understand that every single class cannot be offered every semester, but a program that is set up to force you to graduate late with a non-accredited degree is ridiculous. I'm making a call to action to everyone reading this. All of you guys, whether you're major is Education, Business, Science, Math, English or something else, think about if you were in this situation. Imagine being four semesters into your program only to find out that it might be pointless. These are our friends, hall mates, and fellow classmen at risk here. Don't let them fall. Band together and speak up to make sure every Longwood student ... including theater majors, get the degree they deserve. I encourage you to contact the SGA or The Rotunda with comments. The education of our colleagues is at stake here. It's time we did something about it. Let's roll.
