PSU BRANDYWINE
The Lion’s Eye:
Vol. 2, Issue 4.
Penn State Brandywine
Media, Pennsylvania
April 13, 2011
A Sad Farewell...
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®
- ®
Dr. Michael Madden, (in clown suit)the ultimate class clown, with is MWF 8:30 a.m. HDFS 311 ns, Madden was sudden-
ly let go on April 1, leaving his students wondering the fate of their classes and grades. ‘Many students were ‘visably shaken
by Madden’s departure and argued that he was a great professor who kept his students on their toes and always wanting
to learn more, doing creative things to keep | them showing up. (photo courtesy Melanie Morales Rosa) =
By Judy Bowker- Editor-In-Chief of the Lion's ByedithST06Dpsu ed
As the rain fell and an abundant number of stunned
students looked on, Dr. Michael Madden, Instructor in Human
Development and Family Science (HDFS), was released from his
position at Penn State Brandywine on Friday April 1. Madden’s
termination is a personnel issue and as stated by law, Penn State
University is not allowed to discuss the reasons for Madden’s
abrupt exit.
As Madden packed up his office, a significant number of
his students attempted to come to Commons 211 and say good-
bye, however, due to the rising emotions by both students and
Madden himself, security sent students away and many were not
able to say good-bye.
As such, Madden’s students formed a barrier across the
main entrance and exit of our school in order to have the op-
portunity to say good-bye and show both their appreciation and
heartache. Some students, however, were not able to wait for
Madden to leave campus.
“It’s really sad," said Erin Voelker, a junior HDFS
major. "We didn’t even get to say bye, I feel that he should have
been able to have a closure class or finish out the semester. I feel
like I am never going to get to see him again.”
Many HDF § students have raised their voices on this
tragic situation, and one of their primary concerns is that they
have three weeks left of school, and they now have to get used to
a new professor. Many students have also said that specifically
took a class with Madden for what he brought to the classroom as
a teacher, and they no longer feel like going to the specific class -
that they were enrolled in.
Several students are also concerned about Madden's
feelings and what this has done to him on a personal level. Said
HDFS major Melanie Morales Rosa, “I think he feels embar-
rassed, but I think he feels proud for what he has done here...
when I got to say goodbye, you could see it in his eyes he was
upset.”
In an act of solidarity for Madden and in trying to get
answers, several students met with Chancellor Sophia T. Wis- -
niewska and the Director of Business Services, Lisa Yerges on
Wednesday April 6.
SGA Vice President and HDFS major Bobbi Caprice,
SGA Treasurer and Corporate Communications Major Vinny
Gallo, HDFS major Melanie Morales Rosa, and Sociology major
Laura Boyd met with the Chancellor in order to try and gain
more clarity, to explain to administration exactly how students
feel about Madden's abrupt departure, and to hear from the Uni-
versity a little more of why exactly this had to happen.
The Chancellor was very welcoming to the students that
met with her, and she began the meeting by acknowledging that
she appreciated the students wanting to speak to her.
- “I know you have some concerns and I want to thank
you for expressing them," said Wisniewska to the four students
sitting before her. She then reiterated that, due to both university
policy and state law, she could not talk about the details and give
details regarding the termination of Madden, but that her hope
was that she could help address the students' concerns and give
them a sense of stability. The students talked about what a great
teacher Madden was, and all tried to explain his style of teaching.
so involved with his students and he cares so much..
“If Dr. Madden gave me a test on stuff he taught me two
years ago, I would do fine!” said Vinny Gallo.
Bobbi Caprice backed up Gallo's sentiments and added
more of her own. "He (Madden) teaches human development,"
she said with poignancy. "You can’t be taught social skills...
you need to physically work on them. Dr Madden made us all
interact, which is what we need. That is what our major [HDFS]
is about.”
Laura Boyd echoed Caprice's thoughts. “Dr. Madden is
.teachers are
good here but none of them care the way he does," she said.
The four students who met with the Chancellor also
expressed that many students are extremely worried about their
grades and how a new professor is going to effect the rest of their
semester. Caprice voiced these concerns, and then added, “I trust
all of your decisions, but I just can’t process that there are four
weeks left and we had to be thrown a new professor. There could
have been better options.”
Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska acknowledged those
concerns. “I know this is a difficult situation, to finish out the -
semester with a new professor, but I hope you learn that they are
caring and helpful...if there was another decision we could have
made, we would have,” she told every-
one.
When asked what the university
was going to do for students that feel that
their grades and experience suffered due
to the last minute change in professors,
the Chancellor held firm and stated that
Madden’s students already have grades
up to this point, and with four weeks left
of the course, these grades should still
be the same, and that course descriptions
that are created by Penn State University
aid in course continuity.
Madden currently is looking forward to other opportu-
nities in his life and is concentrating solely on his experience at
Penn State being all about his students and the relationships he
has built with them over the years.
"Please share with the students how much I valued
the opportunity to share this stage of my life with them," Mad-
den told The Lion's Eye. "These last classes were so filled with
the best exchanges and the most positive memories of my long
teaching career."
The day before he left the Brandywine campus, Mad-
den's Facebook status reflected these same thoughts. “My
Students of PSU ...thank you for your gifts and joy of teaching
and learning with you. Our learning community was a great place
to complete my teaching career. I will no longer be with you in a
physical way, but may my love and intentions raise your curiosity
and desire to rise to the occasion. Goodbye, and my prayers are
with you.”
Madden summed it up, however, when he thanked the
students who stood in the rain to wish him farewell.
"Thanks for the send off. My heart is warmed through
your love and support. You were the best students with whom I
could have shared this semester."
Budget Could Slash
PSU Funding by
Over Half
By Rob Ewing
Lion's Eye Campus News Editor
rte5016@psu.edu
and Kenny Lankford
Lion's Eye Staff Writer
kgl5040@psu.edu
Penn State University may be
forced to consider closing several cam-
pus locations, as well as other desperate
measures within the next year, should the
proposed budget cuts, by Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Corbett be passed, Penn
State President Graham Spanier said.
“We will have to raise tuition,
but we don’t want to unduly affect our
students. At Penn State, our largest source
of income is our tuition. If any students
are scared away or don’t come back, we
lose their tuition, and there is a multiplying
effect from the cuts,” Spanier said. “We are
willing to do our fair shore, but this is not
our fair share.”
State schools such as Penn State,
University of Pittsburg, Temple, and
Lincoln universities, as well as 14 other
schools in the State System of Higher Edu-
cation would be affected by the proposed
cuts to the budget. Within Penn State,
programs, personnel, campuses being cut,
salaries, and employee benefits also could
be reduced or frozen in order to deal with
the $182 million budget cut.
At the state level however, higher
education budgets are being leveled with
other budgets such as highway improve-
ment. In a radio interview, Corbett said he
was stunned by the reaction of the uni-
versity and does not think that education
should be “recession-proof”. Corbett’s
spokesperson Kevin Harley confirmed
this statement, and said that “the governor
maintains his position that sacrifice must
be collective, and higher education will not
escape cuts.”
continued on page 14
Students Head To
Harrisburg
By Katie Koelewyn
Lion's Eye Staff Writer
Kej132@psu.edu
Capitol Day was celebrated last
Tuesday at the State Capitol in Harrisburg.
Dver three hundred Penn State students from
humerous campuses attended the event.
Dur Brandywine campus was ranked third
n attendance. There were thirty students
om the Brandywine campus that boarded a
us and headed to Harrisburg to speak with
egislators about the budget issues affecting
enn State University along with many other
tate colleges and universities. Since there
as been a proposal to cut state funding to
enn State by 52%, the concerns were wide-
spread and many students spoke out about
their concerns.
Stephen lastesta, the Govermental
Affairs Chair, organized the trip including
securing transportation, compiling the con-
act information of all the students attending,
nd keeping everyone informed of the day’s
vents. He did a fantastic job and was re-
ponsible for the trip running very smoothly
om beginning to end.
continued on page 14