LRC atrophy may reflect 'hidden agenda'

I wish to respond to your June 18 article regarding the departure of Richard Ruiz, chair of the department of language, reading and culture in the College of Education.

I feel the article to which I refer did not examine the real issues behind Ruiz's decision to leave the university. Rather, it seemed to serve as a vehicle for Dean Taylor's unsubstantiated rhetoric. Few people know that the "$200,000 packet" allegedly of fered to the LRC department in order to keep Ruiz was really only a sort of "life insurance," guaranteeing monies to replace faculty leaving or retiring during the next three years. In other words, to receive financial support from Dean Taylor's office, i t was necessary to encourage faculty to retire or leave.

Currently, the LRC department is woefully understaffed because of the loss of four faculty members last year. Dean Taylor's office has not made any efforts to replace these losses. Further, the issue of departmental faculty losses had nothing to do with t he "offer" that Dean Taylor claims he made to Ruiz to keep him here. Moreover, although Dean Taylor claims the university is in financial crisis, affecting resources that can be allocated to his departments, it has been noted by students and faculty alike that he recently did an extensive and costly remodeling in his offices. What are the financial priorities of the College?

In your article, Dean Taylor says he made an "effort" to retain Ruiz. However, he failed to provide substantive responses to Ruiz's concerns by June 10, the deadline when Ruiz had to make a decision on his out of-state job offer.

Dean Taylor ought to know that LRC faculty, staff and students feel great pride for the LRC Department. LRC has become a model department, not only through its nationally recognized faculty, but primarily because it deals with issues of racial and ethnic diversity in an effective way. LRC has been practicing diversity in an operational way under the leadership of Ruiz. The success of the Department is reflected in its large enrollment of graduate students who are attracted because of the support, dedicate d faculty and leadership demonstrated there.

Today, as we lose quality leadership, we see an uncertain future for our department. Through neglect, perhaps excellence will begin its decline. It is obvious that the dissatisfaction of an overworked faculty (reflected by the loss of four fine professors ) has to do with factors that are beyond financing. The administrative environment of the College of Education seems repressive to me. There is no openness in communication and the goals and direction of the college are not articulated to the faculty and students.

Our LRC faculty seem not to hold any respect on the part of administration and, as a result we are losing them while our program disintegrates. As the cornerstone of our department - bilingual education - faces the pending loss of its respected administra tor, we wonder if there is not a "hidden agenda." Perhaps, administrative practices at the College of Education need more attention from President Pacheco and/or Provost Sypherd. If not, I believe the decline will accelerate as our top professors leave th e College of Education.

Mariella Espinoza-Herold

Graduate Student, LRC Dept.