Recently, there was a student–led protest on the campus of Benedict College. As students in Benedict’s department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), we were concerned about what’s happening to the department as well as the college as a whole. Our complaints dealt with the state of academic integrity and the deplorable living and study conditions on the campus.

As recreation majors, we lost an excellent professor and mentor, Dr. William Gunn, last year due to his forced retirement after 45 years of service to Benedict College. Several years ago Dr. Gunn publicly criticized Benedict’s president Dr. David Swinton for instituting his “Success Equals Effort” Policy better known as the SEE or SE2 Policy. This controversial policy has been criticized by many and has damaged the academic credibility of the college. Dr. Gunn was immediately demoted from his position as department chair. Since then, the HPER department has come under intense scrutiny.

Dr. Gunn, to his credit, continued teaching up until last year. Once he was physically out of the way, however, the attacks on our department began. The new Dean of the School of Education, Dr. Allen Coles (a terminated former Superintendent of Richland School District #1), came in and immediately started expressing how he wanted to “change the culture” of our department. Working under the direction of his predecessor and current vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Janeen Witty, Coles threatened two longtime and very popular faculty members with termination, within one year. This threat came after he had been at Benedict for merely four months — certainly not long enough to evaluate the efficiency, professionalism, or expertise of a faculty member in an area in which he is not at all familiar. His decision to terminate two faculty members had to have been guided by his superiors.

But, the biggest concern of the students in our department is the mistreatment of the faculty and staff, which ultimately affects us as students. Dr. Gunn worked at Benedict from 1964 – 2009. He gave most of his life to developing the HPER Department and young African American men and women. Dr. Gunn hired a faculty and staff that took after his personality. The HPER Department is more than an academic component at the college. It is truly like a family. Dr. Gunn was like the wise father–figure to many. He has even taught and mentored many of the people who work at Benedict. The two faculty members who were recently let go, Mr. Randy Davis and Mr. Julian Shabazz are like big brothers to most of the students in the department.

I believe that Dr. Gunn’s retirement was a result of his being fed up with the constant battles. After being threatened with termination Mr. Davis found another job. Mr. Shabazz is still teaching here for the moment but has been told that his contract will not be renewed next year. This is why students in the HPER Department are protesting. We see the ruins of a great legacy and our family–like department being totally changed into something else simply because of personal vendettas. The students are furious and are taking action.

I am a non-traditional student. I am a 33–year– old widow with two boys, who decided to return to school so that my children would have the best opportunities in life. This is written from a place of great concern because I have experienced the real world from corporate America and the armed forces, and I know what it takes to survive. I originally attended Benedict from 1996–1998. I returned to Benedict in 2008 as a single parent determined to complete my degree, which I will accomplish this May. I now refuse to depart from this institution again and not make a difference.

There are people who say that students shouldn’t criticize their school. But if there are problems and we can’t get satisfaction from administrators on campus, then who can we go to for help? We want Mr. Shabazz to be reinstated and have his teaching contract renewed next year. We are calling on all alumni (especially those from the HPER Department), supporters, and friends of the college to write, call, or email college officials and tell them to stop destroying a department that has 223 African American students who love, support, and respect their current faculty members.

Marisa Robinson is a

senior at Benedict College.

Her major is Therapeutic

Recreation. She can be contacted

at marisarobinson75@

yahoo.com.