By ABBY BRAVO
Editor-in-Chief
Bruce Roter, a former professor of music at Saint Rose, welcomed students back to campus on the first day with a display of disappointment while dressed in full academic regalia, targeting the faculty and administration of the college. He spent his time outside the Massry Center for the Arts building where he previously taught. He has gone back multiple times to protest after his first appearance on Jan. 17.
Roter was one of the faculty members who lost their jobs due to budget cuts in 2021 when the college had over a $10M operating deficit. The cuts that came from this drawback took away a large portion of the music program, leaving only music industry as well as completely dismantling the art department.
These cuts brought on a lawsuit filed by some music faculty who lost their jobs, including Roter. Originally, the court ruled in favor of the professors, but the College appealed. The lawsuit ended with the appellate court ruling 5-0 in favor of the College in October of 2022.
“These reductions were part of a proactive plan to reduce academic expenses during challenging times in higher education exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote the College’s spokesperson, Jennifer Gish.
In regards to his protests, Roter wrote in a blog post, “it would have been my first day of class had I not been among those professors at The College of Saint Rose who were laid off.”
Roter recalled seeing his previous students during his protests and hopes to keep those connections strong and help them however they need. “I hope to keep up interactions with my old students,” said Roter. “I was a part of the campus community for 24 years and I would be happy to continue doing so.”
He is protesting “cheating” by unnamed faculty members who allegedly, during the original budget proposals, did not follow the guidelines given which led to a proposal being accepted late. He also claims that the school now has a larger budget deficit than when professors were laid off.
Roter’s sign read, “Cheating must NEVER be tolerated! Especially when it involves faculty!” on one side and “Saint Rose needs to be the home of ethics, integrity, and dignity, for all!” on the other. Each side also included a QR code that led to his website, saintroseexposed.org, where he regularly posts his thoughts on the state of the College and his experiences.
Roter notes that he is not protesting to get his job back, but for accountability and awareness that some faculty were not treated fairly during the termination process. “I imagine it’s too late to reverse anything from the past but I hope there can be lessons learned in the future,” he said.
Gish concluded the College’s statement with “this matter has been settled by the courts. Our focus is on our students and a successful start to the spring semester.”
