Students and professors alike have united in their support for Craig Centrie, professor of American Studies. Due to the far-reaching budget cuts proposed for SUNY and UB, several of Centrie's Latino Studies course offerings, popular among his students, are in danger of being cut.
Upon hearing of the prospect of Centrie's classes being cut, Dr. Ruth Meyerowitz, professor of American Studies, was quick to form a petition that called for the preservation of Centrie's position 'at full strength and the wide range of course offerings he provides.'
'We got notice from the Dean's office that they were considering cuts, so we decided to go into classes the next day and try to get some signatures from students who might be affected by the cuts and would want to keep professor Centrie at the current number of classes he is teaching,' Meyerowitz said.
According to Meyerowitz, Centrie is idolized by both his students and his fellow colleagues for his broad understanding of the subject matter of his classes, his affability with students, and his dedication to the department.
Ivanlli Scolari, a Latino Studies minor, believes that the course cuts will be extremely detrimental to the entire program.
'It would be a shame [for the courses to be cut], being that he's so knowledgeable about the subjects,' Scolari said. 'He relates to everyone in the class. I just think it would be a disservice, cutting someone who offers so much to the college and the students. Even if he was replaced by someone else, we would not get the same kind of experience.'
Scolari, along with many of his classmates, would be in a problematic situation if the classes were to be cut. Because many of the classes are required for the Latino Studies minor, and since they are usually offered only once a year, Scolari might not be able to get his requirements done without postponing his graduation.
'Everyone in the class was thinking, ‘Now how do I finish my minor?' because the courses for the minor are not offered every semester, but the courses that are offered are taught by him,' Scolari said.
The only other option for these students would be to take the classes at another school.
Centrie is a significant figure in the ever-growing Latino community beyond the university. He is the executive director and curator at El Museo, a non-profit Latino visual arts museum on Allen Street. Centrie would also be a very advantageous presence in UB 2020 plans.
'He has a lot of visibility in the community,' Meyerowitz said. 'His strengths meet a lot of the strengths that UB is trying to highlight in the UB 2020 proposal – what they call strategic strengths.'
Meyerowitz speculated that the dean's office might not have been aware of just how influential a figure Centrie was when the cuts were proposed.
At a budget meeting held this past Friday, Jeri Jaeger, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was presented with the petition, signed by 57 students. Jaeger was surprised by the opposition.
'She was impressed that there was such strong student support and that the students came from so many different majors,' Meyerowitz said. 'So I think they were very impressed and they are probably going to think about it.'
The final meeting regarding the cuts will be held sometime in the near future. The petition is continuing to gain signatures, and the entire Latino Studies program is hopeful that it will have an impact on the deliberations concerning Centrie.
'The big thing right now is not to lose him,' Meyerowitz said. 'He brings a lot to the campus and to the students, so we're really trying to keep him.'
To sign the petition, e-mail Meyerowitz at rsm@buffalo.edu.
