The Freshman Connections program is gone after a decision from the Office of the Provost to move financial support toward individual departmental programs.
Sociology professor Melinda Messineo, who was involved with the program since 1999 and served as its director since 2008, had no say in the decision.
"The university is hoping to transfer funds more directly to departments so that students can connect with majors quickly," Messineo said in an email.
The funds the program used will now support block grants of up to $6,000 for departments to run programming, Messineo said.
The Freshman Connections program sponsored a yearly Freshman Common Reader and an essay, as well as a visit by the author of the year's Common Reader. Faculty teaching fall classes were allowed to integrate the book into their classes.
English assistant professor William Holbrook, who has had his English 104 students write proposals for the reader, was disappointed in the decision to eliminate the program.
"The price tag on it was very high, but I thought the results were also very high," Holbrook said.
Holbrook cited "the marvelous experience" that came out of last year's book, Anand Giridharadas's "The True American."
"The freshmen that I've talked to who both read the book and went to the convocation were extremely pleased with how it all came out," Holbrook said. "To have that experience and then have a dismissal of the Freshman Reader within months of that is very disheartening."
Holbrook also took issue with the manner in which the decision was made.
"The amount of work that [Messineo] has done on that program is incredible for one person," Holbrook said. "Not having her be involved at all in the decision to cut it out is unthinkable."
Messineo took a more optimistic approach to the program's end.
"There is a sense of loss to see something you care about ending, but I am hopeful to see what departments will put together," Messineo said.
Though most of the program has been terminated, the Commuter Ambassador program, which fell under the Freshman Connections umbrella, will remain, as will the Living Learning Communities.
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