GODDARD STUDENTS ON HUNGER STRIKE
PLAINFIELD -- A group of students and staff at Goddard College continues to stage protests against the school's President Richard E. Greene.
Jennifer Reardon, a student at Goddard said about 20 students, a faculty member, and one staff member are fasting to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with Greene's leadership.
"Our fast is a metaphorical sacrifice, representing the many levels of starvation this community is experiencing," the students said in a prepared statement.
The group says it remains upset by Greene's "undemocratic practices and communication skills," which they claim violates Goddard's mission statement.
Reardon said the group's biggest complaint about Greene is that he is not working in a collaborative and cooperative way and is slowly trying to "corporatize" Goddard.
A group of 96 students, faculty, and staff gave Greene a unanimous vote of no confidence last Thursday. In addition, efforts are underway by some faculty and staff at Goddard to unionize.
Meanwhile, a committee that includes representatives from the entire Goddard community, is trying to put together a budget for next year, that could include layoffs.
The students say their protest against Greene will continue and some type of non-violent demonstration is being planned for next Tuesday.
In addition, Reardon said the students who oppose Greene are hoping to meet once again with Jane Sanders, the chairwoman of Goddard's Board of Trustees to discuss the situation.
Sanders, who is a Goddard alumna, is married to U.S. Congressman Bernard Sanders, I-Vt.
Despite all the turmoil, Goddard's campus was quiet Wednesday. The only indication of the recent upheaval were a couple of mock tombstones that lined the driveway leading to the school that read: "here lies our soul," "opening soon our lady of perpetual sorrow, a new American College," and "Progressive education d. 4-10-96, it was great while it lasted."
The protest against Greene began last Thursday after Peter Burns, the school's director of admissions, submitted his resignation saying he could no longer handle the working conditions created by the president's management style.
Burns said he was particularly angry about Greene's decision to hire a consulting firm to improve admissions at Goddard.
In his letter of resignation, Burns said Greene never told him he wanted to get 50-75 more students on campus this fall until the consulting firm visited Goddard.
Burns and other staff members claimed Greene decided to hire the consultants without discussing the idea with all members of the Goddard community.
Greene, however, claims a meeting was held at the school to discuss hiring the consulting firm in the idea was "very well received."
Opposition to Greene has been growing steadily almost since the day he was tapped to be Goddard's ninth President two years ago following a national search.
At the time, Greene said he had absolutely no desire to try to change Goddard.
"I want to take Goddard to another level. There is a whole new chapter being written about experimental education and I'd like to make Goddard part of it," Greene said in an interview shortly after he was named president.
But students and staff at Goddard have grown increasingly suspicious of Greene as he has tried to improve the school's financial situation.
For example, Reardon said one of the reasons students objected to the hiring of the consultants was because the firm might use telemarketing that would lead to the "corporatization" of Goddard by Greene.
Greene, who seems to be largely unaffected by the protest, says he's only trying to do his job.
Debt at Goddard is way down and a recent evaluation by the organization that accredits colleges and universities in New England was very positive, Greene points out.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges said it was "pleased" with the financial condition of Goddard since its last visit in the fall of 1992.
Goddard had a $250,000 surplus three years ago, a break-even situation two years ago, and $100,000 surplus last year, while it was reducing its debt to $450,000, the association said in its report.
