Gerontology Studies could Face Elimination  

By Anastasia Hendrix, the San Francisco Chronicle

April 16, 2004  

The students and faculty of the graduate program of gerontology at San Francisco State University are experts in the death and dying process, but they nevertheless were stunned by the news of the impending demise of their academic program -- the oldest of its kind in the state's public university system.  

Program director Brian de Vries said the dean of the College of Health and Human Services had proposed reassigning the three full-time gerontology professors and ceasing student enrollment to the program. The 90 currently enrolled students would be able to complete their degrees.  

"I just don't know how somebody could think of cutting a program like this when issues of aging are so front and center in American society right now,'' he said. ",For a program that specializes in that to be slated for suspension just seems to fly in the face of demographic reality.''  

Research shows that every day, 6,000 Americans turn 65, and almost one in four Americans are expected to be 65 or older by 2025, he said.  

The news also baffled many of the thousands of professionals who work in the field of aging who were gathered at the San Francisco Hilton for a four- day conference dedicated to issues facing the burgeoning senior population.  

"The program (at S.F. State) is one of the leading lights of gerontology in the country,'' said Gloria Cavanaugh, president and chief executive officer of the American Society on Aging. She said she planned to mobilize conference attendees to send letters and e-mails of protest to university officials.  

"I can't believe (the university) could be so short-sighted when we have more and more family members every day who need care and services, and we need to have more people who are educated about aging and care-giving issues,'' she said.  

The gerontology program is just one of many educational curriculums crumbling under the weight of the state budget crisis. Earlier this month, the university administration proposed eliminating the School of Engineering .  

University President Robert Corrigan then assigned the deans of each of the school's eight colleges to come up with proposals to eliminate a $10 million budget shortfall in academic programs.  

Although the possible elimination of the engineering and gerontology programs has gotten the most attention to date, the list of programs that could be eliminated is "quite comprehensive,'' said university spokeswoman Christina Holmes.  

A complete budget reduction proposal that details all the proposed program cuts is expected to be forwarded to Corrigan and the faculty senate next week.

"Nobody wants to cut programs, certainly not this university or administration, but we have never seen a time like this,'' said Holmes.  

Monica Wynn, a 40-year-old re-entry student who said she had enrolled in the gerontology program because it was a solid program with a good reputation and a passionate, dedicated faculty, said she hoped it would be spared.  

"Our department is small, and I didn't think we would be a big contributor to clearing up the budget crisis by our elimination,'' she said.