The Fordham Ram Serving The Fordham University Community Since 1918 Volume 96, Issue 13
FordhamRam.com F dh R
SSeptember b 17, 2014
Faculty, Administration Remain at Impasse
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Following disputes over their healthcare provider, faculty administration have yet to reach a plan of action.
By MAX PRINZ SPORTS EDITOR
The faculty and administration remain entangled in their negotiations over a new healthcare plan after the Faculty Senate voted this past Friday to reject the administration's latest proposal, 23-0-0. The impasse stems from the administration's decision to choose a
new health care provider without the consent of the Faculty Senate, an action that the faculty believes violates university statutes. John Lordan, senior vice president and the university’s chief financial officer, has been representing the administration in negotiations with the Faculty Senate. At the meeting this past Friday, the Faculty Senate also voted 22-0-0
to formally censure Lordan. The Fordham Ram attempted to attend last Friday's meeting, but was told that no non-faculty members would be allowed. The university also released a statement late Tuesday afternoon announcing that Lordan was stepping down from his position as Chief Financial Officer (See Fordham CFO Steps Down).
According to the Senate's action minutes, Lordan received his censure "for violating the University Code of Conduct (Statutes, 6-03.01[h]) by disrupting the University-wide faculty meeting held on September 10, 2014; by limiting through intimidation the free expression of ideas by members of the faculty; and by refusing a request by officers of the Senate to leave the meeting." The university declined to comment on Lordan's censure. In addition, the senate voted to express its lack of confidence in Mr. Lordan and its desire "that the president of the university directly represent the Administration in negotiations concerning faculty salaries and benefits." Dr. Patrick Hornbeck, secretary of the Faculty Senate, said that, in his eight years at Fordham, he was not aware of any other faculty member who had been censured. "Mr. Lordan's conduct at that meeting from last week did not represent a fair sense of the relationship that should exist between the faculty members and the administration," Hornbeck said. "The purpose of the resolution was for the Senate to put SEE HEALTHCARE, PAGE 3
Fordham CFO Steps Down By KELLY KULTYS & MAX PRINZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & SPORTS EDITOR
Amid heated faculty and administration debates over salary and benefit packages, Fordham University’s Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, John Lordan has stepped down, according to an official university statement. Lordan served in this role since his arrival in April 2000. In fact, according to the statement, he was the first and only person to ever serve in this role, as it was created just prior to his arrival. “John has overseen many improvements to the University’s financial operations, including the creation of a chief investment officer’s position, more rigorous accounting procedures, and schoolbased budgeting,” the statement reads. According to the statement, he SEE CFO, PAGE 6
Big Class, Bigger Questions New Organization Distributes Condoms At 2,246, Class of 2018 Prompts Housing Concerns for Coming Years By ERIN SHANAHAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fordham’s incoming Class of 2018 is the largest the university has ever served. The class of 2018 consists of 2,246 students. In addition to this outstanding number, the university’s Admissions Department reports an acceptance rate of 48 percent — nearly 41,000 applications, and a little over 19,000 acceptances. The Class of 2018 is also one of the most diverse. “The new class hails from 43 U.S. states and the District of Columbia,” comments Dr. Patricia Peek, director of undergraduate admission, “We have over 50 students from the Southwest region of the United States, and we have 140 students from the in this issue
Opinion Page 7 Core Programming Is Ineffective
Culture Page 11 President’s Ball a Hit Among Students
Sports Page 24 Fordham Football Dominates Homecoming Game
West, including 120 from California alone. We have enrolled over 150 international students from countries including Brazil, India, Myanmar and Venezuela.” Compared to the Class of 2017, the size of this year’s freshman class has increased by 15 percent. Out of the 2,246 freshman, 1,678 attend the Rose Hill campus, and 568 attend the Lincoln Center campus. While the size of the freshman class presents benefits, such as an increase in diversity, it has provided its fair share of troubling situations as well. One problem many students worry about is housing. However, Kim Russell, assistant dean of students and director of Residential Life, explained that the large freshman class did not make housing assignments more difficult this year. “It certainly took us some more time, but we do everything very intentionally through our room selection process,” Russell said. “It’s a very well-thought-out process whether we are placing 100 students or 20,000 students. I wouldn’t say it was any more difficult; it just took some more time.” Russell said that, with the addition of the new residence hall, crowding has not been an issue this year, citing that the number of converted triples has actually dropped from last year. She also believes that next year’s housing SEE HOUSING, PAGE 2
By JOSEPH VITALE MANAGING EDITOR
If students attended either of this weekend’s homecoming events, some may have returned to their residence halls or off-campus apartments with an unexpected souvenir: a NYC condom attached to a small informational sheet. That was no accident. The contraceptive was distributed by a recently-formed coalition of students which calls itself Students for Sex and Gender Equality and Safety (S.A.G.E.S). The group — not associated with the university — has emerged with a mission to combat what it considers a restrictive free speech policy, coupled with dated and dangerous sexual health policies. “The condom distribution is just one tactic of many that we intend to use to engage students in our campaign,” the group said via email. “We are raising awareness of both sexual health facts and practices, as well as the outdated and out of touch policies that inhibit the safety of students.” The group’s solution to the university being “extremely restrictive” is its rogue form of action-driven social justice initiatives that is making waves on campus, chiefly because the distribution of contraceptives is not allowed by the university, despite a diversified student population which is representative of an array of religious and ethnic backgrounds. “As an institution in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition, Fordham Univer-
SAMUEL JOSEPH/THE RAM
Condoms attached to informational tags were found by students this weekend.
sity follows church teachings on reproductive issues,” reads Fordham’s official policy, which can be found on its website. “Distribution of contraceptives, contraceptive devices and/or birth control, in any form, is prohibited on Fordham University property and at university-sponsored events.” For that reason, students may have been taken aback to see free condoms changing hands on the dance floor of the McGinley Center Field House, where President’s Ball took place on Friday, and in the student section of Jack Coffey Field, where Fordham hosted the University of Rhode Island on Saturday.
S.A.G.E.S. used the two widelyattended events to launch their initiative, but remained anonymous for fear of repercussions from administrators. (The group maintains a Twitter account and a Tumblr page, on which it posts photos, releases brief updates and documents its campaign goals.) However, either due to the concealed identity of its students, the nature of the coalition’s initiatives or both, the group has received some early jabs from the Dean of Students Office on social media. “Instead of anonymity, @fordhamSAGES try some Fordham valSEE CONDOMS, PAGE 5