Kenny Dillon started a petition on change.org Friday, titled: "Oppose Rider University's Decision to Cut Majors, Minors, and Graduate Degrees!"
LAWRENCE -- A Rider University student's online petition opposing Rider University's decision to cut 13 majors and layoff professors attained 1,000 signatures Monday night.
Kenny Dillon started the petition on change.org Friday, titled: "Oppose Rider University's Decision to Cut Majors, Minors, and Graduate Degrees!"
John Roper started a similar petition on change.org to save the piano major at the Westminster Choir College, part of Rider's music school. That petition had over 1,100 signatures.
On Thursday, the university announced it plans to cut 13 majors and one minor and eliminate more than 20 jobs, including 14-full-time faculty members.
The cuts are expected to save more than $2 million a year as Rider tries to close its deficit, which is already at $7.6 million of this year's $216 million budget, the university said.
"This is all being done in an attempt to close a $7.6 million budget deficit faced by the university, and cutting these programs would save the university around $2 million. But at what cost to education?" Dillon's petition asks.
One of the most popular comments on the petition comes from Rider French professor Dr. Mary Poteau-Tralie. French is one of the majors being eliminated next fall.
"For EVERY student and for ALL alumni, regardless of major or minor, your degree will be seriously diminished if this plan goes through," Poteau-Tralie wrote.
The 25-year Rider veteran said she's loves her students and is devoted to their well-being and preparation for life. "Unlike this President who has been here for all of 4 months," she wrote of Rider's President Gregory Dell'Omo, who took office in August and announced the cuts at a town hall meeting with faculty and staff.
MORE: Rider University slashing 13 majors, laying off professors
Poteau-Tralie said in the post that all of Rider's Fulbright scholar winners have come from the German program - also being cut - and that every single Rider student who has applied for the prestigious French Consulate Assistants program in France has been accepted.
"For the sake of ALL of our students in all programs, please fight this," Poteau-Tralie wrote. "There is reflected glory in all that we accomplish. When educational programs are cut, the lifeblood of an institution is gone."
The majors being cut are art and art history, advertising, American studies, business education, French, geosciences, German, marine science, philosophy, piano and web design. The bachelor of arts program in economics and the graduate program in organizational leadership will also be eliminated.
Three majors -- business economics, entrepreneurial studies and sociology -- will be offered only as minors, and the school's minor in Italian will be eliminated.
Current juniors and seniors will be able to complete degrees in their major, but sophomores and freshman will need to switch majors or transfer, the university has said.
In total, 272 students, including 123 sophomores and freshman are in the affected programs.
Rider said in a statement that the changes were not made lightly and will have a profound impact on those who are directly affected. "But they are needed to put Rider on a more progressive path and position the University more strongly in an increasingly competitive environment."
Dillon has been promoting the petition on his Facebook page and has organized with four others the group, Save My Major Coalition.
"We are aware of this petition and we understand that this was difficult news to hear, however, we believe that these changes will strengthen Rider University," university spokeswoman Kristine Brown said the Dillon petition.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
