He could have done a number of things. Answered email from his students, graded assignments, worked on a project...

This kind of thing helps nothing. The dude has an opinion about how to improve the university and is outspoken about it. This is a good thing, even if we disagree with that opinion. Attacking our faculty is not what we want to do.

+1. Hays probably cares more about Ohio University than 99% of the administration, faculty and students. I bet Penn State wishes they had a few Steve Hays' to keep their athletic department in check.

What you deem as insignificant, others major in. I'd take it easy on what and when we should be scheduling. OHIO is a liberal arts university, that doesn't mean its all business and journalism.

The Classics and World Religions department is tiny, one of the university's smallest. You're not going to get any blood from that stone. At the same time, any self-respecting liberal arts institution of higher learning is going to have one.

You wouldn't give a crap about it either way if Hays never said anything. It's not about fiscal responsibility, it's about eliminating enemies. I don't know why we would want to get rid of highly-rated instructors when one of the university's biggest problems (mostly unsaid) is holding onto talented faculty.



So only professors in, say, communications or history can make this call? The number of students in the major is what determines the validity of the stance? He's been pretty consistent in speaking about the university as a whole and not his department. You're right; there are few people with that major. But there a lot of students who take C&WR classes for Tier II or III requirements. And the students who are in that department tend to be high performing. Heck, a significant part of their budget comes from outside the university in the first place.

A quick salary search for Hays came up with $75,000, not $100,000. Do you have a source for that?

Those numbers seem VERY low for marketing and finance given the number of students. My guess is that you don't need need full time, tenured faculty to teach Marketing. Instead, it probably makes sense to have adjunct faculty with industry experience teaching the courses. They'd probably be better at it anyhow.

And..just because the world religions major has only 30 students doesn't mean ANYTHING. What matters is how many courses they offer and how popular they are amongst students. There is probably lots of cross over with other liberal arts departments. How many math majors graduate every year? I bet less than 50. How many students take math courses? Probably 2/3 of the school. 

All College of Business courses are taught by Professors. 

Correction of the corection: Ohio University defines itself as liberal arts, according to Vision Ohio.

Correction to the correction of the correction: Actions speak louder than words.  So-called "vision statements" often lag behind reality.  

What does one do with a Western and World Religions degree?

Zaleski is right . . .  a true university needs classes like this that broaden ones horizons.  Not every class and/or major should be directed toward making one more employable.  Some classes and majors should be aimed at helping us better understand our world and the world of ideas.  IMHO, no one should be able to get an undergraduate degree without being exposed to some good classes in the humanities -- like philosophy, history, psychology, sociology, etc.  These course, when well taught (which they often aren't, but that's another discussion) really help you become a much more well-rounded person.

You don't get to define the university ahead of how it defines itself.



Same things you can do with 90% of other degrees.

This and that for almost three decades, take extension courses in accounting and become a CPA.

Of cOUrse if you have any brains, yOU get the accOUnting degree at OHIO UNIVERSITY, ATHENS, OHIO and get the major career progress going three decades sooner.