bserver Faculty Union Calls Off Strike

By ALEXA VILLATORO Asst. News Editor

Fordham University and Fordham Faculty United (FFU), the union representing nontenure-track professors at Fordham, reached a tentative three-year contract agreement on Jan. 18 after months of negotiations that began in March 2022. The tentative agreement came just under two weeks before union members were set to strike on Jan. 30.

The university accepted the terms of the latest contract proposal presented by the union that called for increased compensation per course, the provision of a health benefit for adjunct professors, and reduced pay disparities between schools at the university. The tentative agreement does not achieve complete pay parity as the union had originally proposed when negotiations began.

The contract is now pending ratification by union members through a majority vote and a vote of approval by the university’s board of trustees.

By KASSIDY DE NOBREGA Staff Writer

The first stage of Fordham’s core curriculum revision is in progress after a nearly three-year effort. The plan to modify the core began during the 2020-21 academic year, and the first stage of its revision is expected to be completed this April. The current core curriculum, instituted in 2008, has been challenged by students and faculty, creating a pathway for its reworking to begin.

The current core curriculum has been critiqued for varying reasons by students across different majors, who cited a lack of attention to diversity and anti-racism in its requirements.

In 2020, ASILI, the Black Student Alliance at Rose Hill, in collaboration with the United Student Government at Rose Hill, proposed the addition of a mandatory anti-racism course to the core curriculum. The student groups advocated for an anti-racism course that would uphold the Jesuit character of the liberal arts core curriculum with the purpose of “bridging the gap between Fordham and its students of marginalized racial and ethnic groups.”

The Diversity Action Coalition also proposed a core curriculum revision in response to the university’s diversity and inclusion mission in 2016. The proposal included a new distributive requirement entitled “Diversity and Society” and a Bronx-focused first-year seminar course. The coalition argued that this would facilitate significant engagement between students and diversity issues from the start of their college careers.

Amanda Rogers, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)

’25 and a psychology major, said that she feels the required courses for the core curriculum can be overwhelming. She praised the core’s inclusion of different course materials, but believes that the curricula can be more encompassing of various cultures.

“I think the core is rather dense, in comparison with other colleges and universities,” Rogers said. “The core is diverse in that it draws in different perspectives, yet maybe they can draw on specific cultures as much as others. I feel that there is an emphasis on cultures we most often see without really touching on others, unless the course’s theme itself is specific to it.”

Students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have voiced complaints regarding the difficulty of completing both core curriculum and major requirements in four years.

Sadiah Choudhury, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23 and a biology major, said that she appreciated the core’s requirements but noted that her main problem with the university’s core curriculum is the “sheer number of classes” STEM students had to complete on top of the courses that are needed to satisfy her major. She added that the additional workload is difficult in combination with the demands of her other classes.

“A lot of my core classes were actually more difficult than my major classes and had a larger workload, so they prevented me from studying for my STEM classes as much as I would have liked,” Choudhury said.

By GABRIELLA BERMUDEZ AND AURELIEN CLAVAUD Sports and Health Editor and Asst. Sports and Health Editor

The Fordham men’s basketball team was on a tear as the halfway mark of their season — the end of the fall semester — came and went. The Bronx hoopers won 11 games in a row, including an impressive, high-intensity victory over Tulane University in New Orleans on Dec. 3. The Rams promptly flew home from the Big Easy and ripped through a home stand that saw them defeat Wagner College, 72-59; Binghamton University, 77-62; and Central Connecticut State University, 90-77. In their final home game before the start of the Atlantic 10 (A10) conference schedule, they defeated the Virginia Military Institute (VMI)

80-77 in overtime on Dec. 22. However, on Dec. 28, the Rams froze against A10 competitor Davidson College in a 57-43 defeat. Their season seemed optimistic, but their slate of games over winter break reinforced important lessons for the budding team.

A New Identity

Fordham has come together this year. Credit for this can be given to Kyle Rose and Antrell Charlton, both Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24, due to their dramatic improvements over the previous season. Rose, despite playing fewer minutes, has seen his points-per-game spike from 7.5 to 9.7. Charlton has been a difference maker; his late game scoring and timely long range shots have uplifted the

Rams. Notably, his field goal percentage has gone from 33% last year to 45%, and his free throw conversion rate has improved by 30%, up to 90%.

According to Charlton, his improvement comes from confidence. He knows that if he plays well, he will elevate his team.

“Everyone is always on me about being more aggressive,” Charlton said. “It gives the team confidence when I’m making those shots. To me, it just brings energy to the whole team.”

However, despite his production uptick, Charlton is most proud of his team’s defense.

“We harp on our defense; that’s our identity at Fordham,” he said. “We harp on our attitude all the time — any adversity, just stay the course.”