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(06/17/20 1:59am)
This letter has been previously published online and The Middlebury Branch of the AAUP’s website. Parts of this letter have been lightly edited to comply with The Campus’ style guidelines.
As alumni, we are deeply concerned about the state of Middlebury College. In particular, we worry that possible cuts to salaries, research funds, wages and healthcare will further deepen the crisis that Middlebury is facing. Though this crisis was spawned by the pandemic, it was clearly exacerbated by pre-existing financial woes. We support the Middlebury AAUP Chapter, and their call for a fair and equitable budget.
We believe faculty and staff deserve a transparent and democratic decision-making process on Middlebury’s campus. The College must honor the urgency of this unprecedented crisis with an innovative response — by engaging in a collective dialogue with the Middlebury AAUP Chapter. We believe the College risks worsening this crisis for our community by attempting to recapture lost revenues through cutting the compensation of Middlebury employees. We echo the Middlebury AAUP in our suggestion that the College rely on its substantial endowment instead.
The existing faculty representation in budgetary decision-making is limited to advisory committees, without the power for robust governance. This current infrastructure is deeply ineffective. We urge the College to bargain in good faith with its employees and especially to safeguard the livelihoods of the most precariously employed faculty and staff. This is not just for the good of the College, but also for the local Addison County economy that the College supports (see these testimonials to learn more).
Any budgetary response that results in increased financial insecurity on the part of faculty and staff ultimately jeopardizes Middlebury’s academic mission. When employees are forced to generate new modes of income out of necessity — through part-time jobs, freelance work, etc. — both workers and students suffer, and Middlebury fails in its responsibility as an employer. Middlebury should use its bountiful resources to protect all employees during this time, particularly its most vulnerable ones.
We believe that staff and faculty at Middlebury need increased worker representation in the budgetary process, and support recent demands that all staff are paid a living wage. We wholeheartedly support the faculty and staff now, as in the past. As students, we benefited greatly from our supportive relationships with Middlebury employees — in the classroom, in extracurricular activities, and as employees of the College ourselves. What makes the Middlebury experience impactful is the education, and the people who make that education possible — those who clean the buildings, prepare meals, teach classes, et cetera.
We certainly didn’t come to Middlebury for the size of the endowment. For many of us, our relationships with faculty and staff remain our strongest continued connections to the College. We trust the College will honor its commitments to Middlebury’s mission, and to the staff and faculty who uphold it.
This letter was written by Middlebury College graduates Sarah Koch ’18.5, Meg Daly ’18, Travis Sanderson ’19, Nia Robinson ’19, Nell Sather ’19, Emma Lodge ’19.5, C Green ’19.5 and Cara Levine ’20. As of June 9, it has over 775 signatories spanning from the class of 1971 through 2020. Learn more about the Middlebury Branch of the AAUP here.
(04/23/19 9:17pm)
Editor's Note: Nia Robinson '19 is president of the Middlebury College Student Government Association.
In a conversation I had a few weeks ago, we talked about how grateful we were for a mild year, compared to the previous years. We made sure to knock on wood, so we didn’t jinx it. Perhaps the wood was fake or we didn’t knock loud enough. Maybe we were naïve for thinking knocking on wood would do anything in the first place.
So far, April has been one of the hardest months for our campus, for SGA, and for all of us personally. From the chemistry professor to the Legutko talk to campus life speeding up as it does every spring, our minds are spinning in millions of directions trying to process the environment around us. In classes, I hear people talk about whether or not they think Legutko should have spoken. In Proctor, I hear students planning protests and talking about how they are going to respond right before needing to run to class. Whether it is in the dorms or in Crossroads, the atmosphere on campus is heavy and exhausting.
I am sure you have all heard rumors about SGA and the plans to dissolve. I have spent the last week wrestling with where I stand on it and what responsibility I have to SGA, students, and the general Middlebury community and to myself. On one side, I think about how I talk to alums and hear about how they approached similar grievances marginalized students are currently facing. I share the frustration of the students around me who spend countless hours in Old Chapel feeling like their voices are not acknowledged. When I think about the Black Lives Matter flag that is still under my bed, when I console my peers who question why they’re doing all of this work for free, when there are students who are ambivalent and undisturbed in the face of their peers’ hardships—these are the moments where I too question the purpose of the work that we do.
On the other side, dissolving SGA would put more work on students who too are struggling with the same questions I asked above. How can I expect the “essential” operations of SGA — like the finance committee — to still function if I myself refuse to show up? Who is going to pick up the pieces if the same people part of SGA are taking them apart? As president, as a person who cares about this school, and as a member of this community, I have realized it is my job to weigh all aspects. When I talked to my cabinet to get their opinion, they all raised valuable points. Drew Platt '20.5, co-director of external affairs, said, “Governments that shut down are not the ones we want to emulate.” Later he asked, “Are we trying to make a statement or are we trying to make change?” When I heard these comments, I took a moment to consider the moment we’re in. Students are in a crucial moment where we can drastically help move this community in a positive direction. And in any moment like this one, there needs to be work done on all fronts.
Students didn’t elect me to tell them what they want to hear. They didn’t elect me to sit by and watch them make the same errors of those who came before us.
I believe in learning from history. I believe in the power of students. I believe in the student organizers and the students on SGA. I also believe in calculated risks and understanding a problem fully before making a decision. For the final weeks, I will continue to support those who come to me and offer advice to any students who will listen. I will continue to advocate for them whether in trustee or SLG meetings when I am the only student in the room. I will continue make strides to increase how many students are in the room. I will continue to work within (and sometimes outside) of my power to ensure students are involved in the decisions that affect the way they live, work, and exist on campus. My sole goal is, and has always been, to help leave this campus in a better state than I found it.
(02/28/19 10:56am)
Happy third week of the semester!
A few updates of SGA:
1. Feedback Form – If you have any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, etc. please use the new go/heysga form. Submissions are anonymous (unless you would like to leave your name) and checked every Sunday at SGA meetings. If you have a more pressing or personal issue, please reach out to a member individually.
2. How We Will Live Together – If you are interested in the updates about the external review, please visit go/livetogether. Also, the steering committee is interested in your recommendations and feedback! On the page, there is a link for you to leave your comments and questions. The deadline for feedback is tomorrow (March 1st) so make sure you submit by then!
That’s all for this week. Good luck as the semester continues!
(12/06/18 10:57am)
I hope the semester is wrapping up as nicely as it can! Somehow, it is already December.
As we start to transition out of this semester, I am reflecting on the past few months: what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved for the next semester. I invite all students to share their thoughts at any point.
Reminders as we start to pack up and leave:
1. Return your dishes to the dining hall! Especially if you complain about there being no bowls in Proctor and happen to have a stack of them — there’s a pretty simple solution.
2. Buy your break bus tickets before they’re sold out. If you can, buy it for the way home too.
3. Seriously, return your dishes.
That’s all for now! Good luck on any exams, papers, and finals in general!
Nia Robinson can be reached at sga@middlebury.edu.
(11/15/18 10:56am)
I hope everyone is surviving the never-ending midterm season! More important than anything, make sure you’re taking care of yourselves.
Some updates from SGA:
Ski Financial Aid Bill:
If you’re interested in taking skiing lessons this winter, we passed a bill this past Sunday to help fund financial aid. To sign up for ski lessons, visit go/jtermlessons. For scholarships, visit go/snowscholarship.
Cooking Classes:
The SGA is planning to host basic cooking classes with Dining Services and Res Life. In the next coming weeks, we will be sending out a student sign up document. If you want to improve your cooking skills or need to learn how to use a stove, this is the class for you!
Office Hours:
After Thanksgiving Break, I will be hosting office hours in Crossroads. This is an opportunity for those of you who cannot make Sunday meetings to reach out and express general concerns or questions. Even if you can’t make it, you can always email.
(10/11/18 9:54am)
To give students and idea of where energy is being directed this semester, here are four main points of focus:
1. Working with leaders of groups to improve the quality of social life and encourage better communication between student groups.
2. Working with Public Safety to promote safety and be proactive about situations that can be avoided.
3. Streamlining communication about funding opportunities that many students are not aware of.
4. Increasing the quality and quantity of events for students who don’t want to drink.
From Public Safety:
For students who live off campus, please be more respectful regarding your neighbors, whether it is not cutting across lawns of people you don’t know or being conscious of noise levels outside of daytime hours. It would be a good idea to introduce yourselves to the people you live around if you haven’t already. It’s never too late to start being a good neighbor.
When crossing the crosswalk, remember to look both ways when crossing. You’d think this wouldn’t have to be a reminder. Many drivers have expressed concern about walkers and bikers being oblivious when crossing the street. If you take the time to wave and say thanks, you can also look. Two birds, one stone.
For students who have cars and have expressed frustrations with the lack of spaces, take a look at the handbook. Not only does it let you know where you can park if your original space is filled, it also answers a lot of questions you have. They are also adding 33 spaces for students back to E lot. It won’t be the same, but it is what we have to work with for now.
Finally, we are looking to create cooking classes for students. The purpose of it would be basic cooking safety, so we can avoid melting plastic and exploding metal in microwaves. This is also a great way to get to know specific people involved in Public Safety. We will have more information about that in the future.
If anyone has any questions or needs clarification on policies, Public Safety encourages you to reach out.
We will be hosting open hours at The Grille on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8-9 p.m. each night for first-years. We will be in touch with more information as they happen.
(09/27/18 9:56am)
I hope everyone has had a great start to their semester!
This week, I thought it would be a great idea to talk about something that has been on the minds of many students,--dining changes. Specifically, the recent Grille closure two nights a week and the changes to the dining hall hours that has worried many students. In conversations with Dan Detora and David Provost, we discussed the reasons behind it, how it impacts students, and where to go from here. This is all part of a larger issue concerning space. Because students use the dining hall as a social space, any changes are bound to affect the way students access food and ultimately each other.
While these changes are in dining, they are also part of a bigger financial picture. Currently, we are planning to have an event where David Provost can present on the challenges and changes we now face to a larger student audience. This will allow students to not only understand the issue, but provide them the opportunity to offer informed suggestions about space, dining, and how to better improve these areas. Hopefully this will not be the only event of this nature. Along with MiddWorks, a series that allows students to learn about administrators and what they do, presentations like these can invite students to understand challenges and how they influence Middlebury and its students. More details will be provided in the future, but I hope students see these steps as moves towards transparency and encouraging student involvement.
I also want to take part of this column to talk about space and how important it is to everyone’s experience. We never acknowledge places like the dining halls or McCullough as places to do homework, eat, and socialize until changes make us realize it. Similarly, we fail to acknowledge the general disrespect these same spaces are shown when we leave parts of our meals on the table for someone else to clean up. If we are going to talk about The Grille and dining hall as important centers on campus, we also need to treat them, and the people, that way.
Nia Robinson is the president of the Student Government Association and a member of the Middlebury College Class of 2019.
(09/13/18 9:56am)
Editor’s note: Nia Robinson is SGA President. This year, she will update students on all things SGA in this bi-weekly column.
Welcome to the class of 2022 and welcome back to returning students! I hope you all had great summers — as hot as it was. This year, I will have a bi-weekly column in The Campus where I provide updates, talk about current initiatives, and share anything I think is useful for you all to know.
A few weeks ago, I was talking with Erin Kelly-Weber, the SGA President at Monterey, and Jin Sohn, last year’s SGA President. Erin asked for our thoughts about what this year will look like. At the time, I didn’t have any predictions for the new year. For upperclassmen, our time at Middlebury has been eventful in many ways. It is hard to think about what could happen when anything can happen. The challenge is addressing the fissures we have experienced while welcoming new people. This offers a range of possibilities for what this year could look like. There are also unforeseen circumstances that can change the course of our predictions.
With this, I think it is more useful to be proactive and focus on what we will do and want to do, rather than what we think is going to happen. What are we going to put in place before tensions boil over?
I have many ideas for this year, but I am more excited to hear from students. Everyone is welcome at SGA Senate meetings — Sundays at 7 p.m. — and I invite you all to share your thoughts. At the SGA retreat before classes began, we discussed ways to increase channels of communication for students. The SGA is going to work to make sure students have enough ways to provide their thoughts and opinions. Whether this is through email, meetings, or running into each other in the dining hall, we hope that you all let us know how we can best work to improve Middlebury.
Please do not hesitate to reach out — especially in this new semester! If anyone needs it, my email is nrobinson@middlebury.edu.
Nia Robinson is a member of the Middlebury College Class of 2019.
(03/07/18 11:51pm)
One of the lessons I learned from my childhood that I carried with me to Middlebury is to share what I have. Do I always follow it? No, sometimes there are only so many MiddCakes to go around. When I do share with people or foot the bill, I don’t expect my friends to pay me back. There will be times when I ask, but I never hold it against them if they can’t pay; we’re all struggling at different levels. When they do pay me back, monetarily or otherwise, they are most often from a lower socioeconomic background and do not always have the means to pay me back, but they do. As for my friends who are more well-off, I have stopped asking.
Before I explain more, it is important to acknowledge that Middlebury is characterized by class segregation, so if you are thinking, “My friends always pay me back,” either you have a small circle or all of your friends come from the same socioeconomic background. If you are thinking, “I’m rich, and I always pay people back,” keep going. Personally, I don’t believe in applauding a fish for swimming.
I remember a time where I bought dinner for two friends and myself because it was more convenient for one of us to pay. One of them told me she would pay me back when she got paid the next Friday, which was no issue. The other said she would that night, but forgot, which was also not a problem. When the next Friday came, the first friend paid me back and offered to buy me coffee since she had felt bad. The other friend still hadn’t paid, but texted a group of us that not everyone had paid her for something that wasn’t hers in the first place.
Maybe this is not the best example that shows this issue on a larger scale. I could write about the time I supplied food for more than 15 people and only one person gave me $5. I could also talk about my friends who are the first to take and the last to give — but this is not about exposing people. At the same time, it says something if you are the person who always takes, but never gives. Repayment doesn’t have to be in the form of money. There are forms of support other than money that affirm relationships rather than replace what was lost.
When people share what they have with me, I feel the need to pay them back at some point because it is the right thing to do. This could be a difference in how people are raised or a difference in ideology. I am tired of watching friends with the means avoid paying, while my friends who have tighter restraints feel guilty about not being able to pay.
(02/22/18 2:26am)
Men — white men specifically — seem to have this obsession with interrupting me. Over the course of one conversation, it regularly happens five times or more. Throw more white men in the mix and the amount of times they cut me off is multiplied. Rarely do they apologize or realize their rudeness. Even when I call it out, they continue to interrupt me, as though what they have to say is more important.
My favorite instances are when I am speaking and they touch my shoulder, signaling me to stop for them to speak.
On one hand, don’t touch me. On another, I have shown enough times that I know what I’m doing. It’s unnecessary and, unless the building is burning down, I can think of few instances where signaling me to stop adds anything to the conversation.
Sometimes, they say what I was going to say, then ask me to continue once they’re done. Other times, they interrupt me to call out my lack of nuance or failure to touch on more ideas. Maybe if I had not been interrupted, their criticisms would be unnecessary.
When white men do apologize, it’s mediocre at best. They say, “Sorry, Nia. Continue,” as they pat my back like we’re friends. If they were really sorry, they would have let me finish.
I acknowledge I talk too much sometimes. Maybe the reason white men interrupt me is they don’t know how to listen. If I had every platform available, I would be a bad listener too.
If you’re reading this and realize you’ve done this to me or any other black woman, I am talking to you. If you’re reading this and do not think you’ve done this, you probably have. For those who feel like they haven’t, think about your friends and teammates.
Before someone makes it seem like I’m making this an issue only black women face, it is important to acknowledge that this has happened with white woman too. Actually, I can’t think of any group that it hasn’t happened with. This also makes me recognize that there is a difference between condescension or dismissal and a miscalculation of when someone believes the other person is finished speaking.
Perhaps we need to learn how to have a conversation before we learn how to have intense dialogue. Listening is great, but we also need to learn to value what we’re hearing. My writing this is not a suggestion that I am perfect. It’s me asserting that I deserve the same amount of respect I see other people receiving.
(11/29/17 11:32pm)
It is Monday morning after a break and you can hear the echoes of people exchanging pleasantries from Cornwall. Why do we ask how people are or how the break was if we are not concerned enough to hear the answer?
At the beginning of the school year, I ran into someone and we did the common dance of telling each other what we did for summer. A few hours later, when we bumped into each other, she asked again. When she saw me again after dinner, she asked for a third time that day. At least that time she asked me what classes I planned to take. Surprisingly, this isn’t the only time it has happened.
Middlebury has taught me to dislike surface level conversations and interactions. That’s all that seems to happen with most people. How much work do you have? Where did you go for break? Can you believe it’s 50 degrees? Middlebury is home to some intelligent people, so I refuse to believe this is all we can muster for conversation starters.
This isn’t me inviting people to ask about foreign policy or how much they love War and Peace in the lunch line at Ross, unless that is something you want to do. I am saying, we know more about each other, so let’s talk about that. If you know your friend has siblings, ask how they’re doing. During midterms, make sure your friends are staying afloat. Check in with people you care about and listen when they give you an answer. We have all had too many passing conversations where we ask how the other person is, but we keep walking, slightly turning as we turn our music back on.
Our culture of busyness keeps us in these conversations, keeps us on the surface. If we’re talking about building community, it needs to be in the everyday. It’s fine to say hi and keep going, but I challenge people to follow up when they ask about someone’s life.
(11/16/17 12:49am)
There has not been room to talk about the importance of students’ roles in this issue with administration, so I’m going to make it. For context, this will stay aligned with Thursday’s town hall, but is applicable to other situations.
First I want to thank students who share and continue to give effort that often seems unmet. I am proud of the work that gets produced. You are all valid in your frustrations and anger and most times I share it. However, I think we need to be intentional in the way we approach direct conversations with the administration.
Sometimes our questions or criticisms are presented as character attacks that are most times unnecessary. If you present a question to someone that is rooted in their character, how do you expect them to respond other than being defensive? Problems with and critiques of departments or institutions should stay there. Yes, people make up institutions and carry our department policies, but there is a better way to talk about that other than diving into character attack. While there is bravery found in asking questions and demanding answers, it is not as present in backing someone into a corner and being dissatisfied by the way they try to get themselves out. With administrators who are women specifically, I see similar threads to the way we talked about Hillary Clinton and other women in power to them. There is an inherent power dynamic present between students and administrators, but the way we call it out sometimes veers into being rooted in sexist expectations.
Secondly, students need to do their homework and understand the jobs of administrators to make arguments hold more weight. For example, I think a lot of the anger we have that is directed at President Patton may be better suited for the communications office or the board of trustees. Understanding the role of the president, I think we sometimes forget Old Chapel is filled with adults who make their own decisions concerning their jobs. So, if there is an issue with faculty, go to the person in charge of that. Further, we also cannot get mad when administrators do their jobs, especially when we don’t understand them. To qualify this, I think the communications office does its job very well, which is why students are upset.
I see some of the demands and needs for change as band-aids that replicate the same structure students go against. For example, firing Bill Burger would put someone else in his place that may replicate the same issues students see. Instead, how can departments or policies be restructured as to not produce the same results?
The students are not alone in their need for improvement. I don’t think it is the job of students to make improvements, especially since the ones who are putting in effort are at the receiving end of what needs to be changed. Some suggestions to start alleviating the process is to send out and post the list and pictures of what each administrator does — like the ones that were present at the lunch tables last spring. Also, continuously share what changes are happening, so students can inform their demands and questions.
We all need to be better listeners. We all need to improve the questions we ask. I hope my peers don’t see this me being “against them.” That is not the case. I see and feel your frustrations, but just like the administration is not perfect, our methods can be improved too.
(11/01/17 10:20pm)
We need to treat our staff better. Right now, there is an extreme lack of respect for dining hall, facilities and custodial staff by students. It’s beyond unacceptable. Let’s take my hall this year for example. It’s home to some lazy people. If you leave plates around in your room, fine. Empty grille? Up to you. Plates of stale food in your mini-fridge? To each their own. However, when you bring this into common spaces with the expectation that someone else will clean up, it is, at its core, an act of dehumanization.
Before you enter the kitchen down the hall from my room, there are two signs that tell you to clean up after yourself. If that isn’t enough to let a bunch of 20-year-olds that we are to clean up, there are signs over the sink, table and recycling bin. It makes me wonder how you could still leave your trash and dirty places around. If the kitchen isn’t enough, go look in the bathroom and I can promise you there’s at least one cup on top of the paper towel dispenser or empty beer bottles in the trash, like there aren’t recycling bins ten seconds down the hall.
Now you may be thinking, “Nia, isn’t that just the actions of a few? We can’t judge everyone for that.”
And to put it simply, no. It isn’t just my hall (which, by the way is in the same building as a dining hall; there is no excuse). It’s the person who left a mug somewhere in Axinn. The people who sit in the dining hall thirty minutes after it has closed like they don’t see people trying to clean up around them. The suite who drunkenly urinated in a corner and left it for someone else to clean up. Even the guys who dropped a pumpkin from the fourth floor and, you guessed it, left it there for someone to clean up. I’m sure by now you get the point.
If you’re thinking that none of that could be you because you’ve cleaned up after yourself or other people, great. The dining halls have cookies sometimes and there are enough for you to have ten.
This isn’t about one or two groups of people. We have all knowingly or unknowingly done something to make someone else’s job harder. We lose track of time, absentmindedly forget a dish in class, or drop something while we’re sprinting to the next activity. I’m not calling out people for being human, but most of the time we are aware of our actions. As a side note, alcohol is not an excuse.
Maybe next time, move out of the way for someone with a cart walking through. The utensils will still be there when they pass. It’s okay to leave a dish in your room and bring it back to the dining hall next time you go. You can even consider saying hello, thank you or how are you the next time you’re at the mail center. It really isn’t that hard and, luckily for our schedules, it doesn’t take that much time.
That being said, what is a complaint without a solution? Understanding the element of financing and to avoid making someone else’s job harder, I plan to work with staff and administration. First, it would be a good idea to add buckets of soapy or sanitizer water in dining halls, so people can wipe down their tables before they leave. Students complain about dirty tables and nowhere to sit; here’s a solution. Also, if it is possible, we can increase the amount of refuse and recycling bins outside. With this, I would hope students are more inclined to pick up trash they see. I know it doesn’t seem like a lot of trash littering the campus, but if we didn’t have people cleaning up after us, it would be more noticeable. A final idea would be either having accessible cleaning materials in all dorms and houses. I’ve only lived in three places, so I am not aware if this already exists across campus. The rest of my ideas are shifts in culture, which I would love to discuss with anyone.
To end, I want to remind everyone of the importance of their role in maintaining this community. The staff do not exist here to serve us and put up with a lot more than we thank them for. I know staff appreciation is only one day, but what better way to show them we appreciate and respect them than to actively be decent human beings.
If anyone has a counter argument that does not involve how much money we pay to be here or how much work we have, I’m all ears!
(10/11/17 10:13pm)
The answer is a lot of things. From whitesplaining to people having conversations in doorways, I have a lot to say. If you know me personally, this isn’t anything new. If you don’t know me, well, now you know. The purpose of this column is to talk about issues I think are important. Topics range from serious to trivial, but it’s all honest. There will also be a mix between Midd-specific and general annoyances.
In the spirit of free trials and free speech, here is a small sample column: Cutting bananas at the fruit cutting station in the dining halls.
You know who you are. What I don’t understand is why there is a necessity to take up space in an already long line to cut a fruit when a butter knife would suffice. Bananas, we’ve all seen them. They’re soft and mushy. More importantly, they leave a gooey residue on the knife, which no one seems to bother to clean off. Too many people neglect to clean up after themselves in general, whether it be leaving the peel or the phloem bundles. (Google it.)
Like most spaces designated for 18 to 25 year olds, the dining halls are communal. We all share a deep frustration with having to wait in line for things. Apart from the seeming lack of study spaces on a Sunday at two, it’s the bane of our existence at Midd. That being said, why add to the problem?
Is this the most pressing issue in the world? No. Does it have to be? Also no. Really, I’m doing this because I think I’m funny and someone thought I needed a platform for my humor. Someone out there may be thinking, “let people do what they want,” and I agree. I also think that same sentiment applies to me too, whether or not people agree with me or find my satirical approach obnoxious.
If there comes a time when you want to respond to whatever I share, I invite you to do so. In the age of information, the internet and the reality of a small campus, finding me shouldn’t be too difficult.