Shippensburg University’s Department of Art & Design is preparing for a major transition — all four of its tenured faculty members are retiring at the end of the semester.
Professors Steve Dolbin, Ben Culbertson, Michael Campbell, and William Whiteley will step away this summer.
The changes to the department come amid broader challenges facing academics departments at Shippensburg University. Earlier this month, SU’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Darrel Newton stepped down after just nine months on the job.
That departure, paired with budget pressure and declining enrollment, have caused a lot of stress for administration, faculty and students.
Rumors of the art department departures caused alarm among the student body, especially art students who were left unsure of their academic future.
Ethan Cornell, a graduating art student, said that a lack of communication caused a lot of anxiety and frustration.
While Dolbin and Culbertson’s retirements were well known, Campbell and Whiteley’s came as a surprise.
“It was the timing of all of it. Kinda pulling the rug out from under us,” Cornell said.
Despite these concerns, faculty and university administration seem optimistic about the department’s future.
Kathryn Keely, the department’s remaining adjunct professor, will likely be joined in the fall by a mix of adjuncts and short-term contract hires.
“We’ve put together a really great list of well-known artists and educators,” Dolbin said. “We can have a bit of a renaissance”
Dolbin also noted that the change presents an opportunity to bring in art professionals from diverse backgrounds and of a younger generation that reflects the student body.
“I’m 66 and I’m one of the youngsters,” Dolbin said.
The department currently has about 70 students, according to Dolbin. A large portion of those students are enrolled in the art education program, which he led efforts to create.
More developments are expected over the summer, as Interim Provost Nicole Hill settles in her role.
In a statement to The Slate, Hill said that the university remains “deeply committed to our art programs as we navigate retirements of our faculty in Art and Design and across other areas.”
SU Director of Communications and Marketing Megan Silverstrim said that the university “will be delivering the coursework that is necessary for student progression and are already addressing staffing in response to the retirements.”
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