Readers react to an article about WSU Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Jo Gonzales announcing to students at an ASWSU meeting that in order to fill a new vice president position, cuts would have to be made to retention counselor positions. The cuts are due to a growing deficit in the Office of Student Affairs. Gonzales said the new associate vice president for community, equity and inclusive excellence position is necessary to help her handle her workload.

Read the full article here.

Kayley DeLong: “Sure, cut the programs that encourage students to stay and make a home here in spaces that are created for them to succeed and thrive. That’ll really make the #Driveto25 happen.”

Kidd Marksen: “How oxymoronic is this? Slashing budgets on important sector(s) just to make up for poor decision making is what constitutes this new administration. No one asked for a fancy multicultural building. There’s not a need for one if there is no support for multiculturalism. Shame on you.”

John Streamas: “Last week, I had heard a rumor of these cuts and the people to be affected. It’s a crime. Administrators should be fired, not hired to replace those in the trenches who really do the hard work of keeping our students in school.”

Sharon Schnebly: “Why in the heck does WSU need another VP? Gonzales was hired to oversee those programs. How can the university justify another $100,000 salary per year plus benefits? Once again, students suffer. It was bad enough when the students were going to be forced to pay for the inability for athletics to manage their budget, now the addition of another position at the cost of on-the-ground services for students.”

David Ruiz: “Wait, so you mean the students have been paying for staff positions all this time? They should just raise tuition and not take from one budget to cover the expenses which should clearly belong to another.”

Eduardo Castañeda Díaz: “Why do coaches get millions, while important multicultural retention counselor positions are cut? This is ridiculous.”