Larger classes, higher fees, fewer professors: what the WCU budget cuts really mean - Caitlin Bowling, Smokey Mountain News

Laurie Oxford’s department is getting smaller; some of her former co-worker’s offices sit empty. Oxford, an assistant Spanish professor at Western Carolina University, spoke at a public forum about university cuts Monday on how multi-level reductions have affected the Arts and Sciences department, which has eliminated several faculty positions and all of its Chinese classes. “Wherever the money is, it’s not in Arts and Sciences,” Oxford said, half-joking. Losing a person means more than simply having one fewer coworker. “They mean considerably fewer class choices (and) in general, a much less effective program,” she said.