After a day to absorb Provost Lou Anna Simon's proposal for MSU's liberal arts reconstruction, many administrators involved say they favor the ideas while some staff members are worried about possible job cuts and class organization.

Simon unveiled her plan Wednesday afternoon, which included restructuring colleges, developing new degree-based residential programs and creating a core integrated-studies program.

MSU community members have a March 5 deadline to approach Simon with their ideas, alternatives and concerns about her projected blueprint.

"I expect people, now that they've seen the ideas, they're going to have some reactions and then we're going to have to take some specific proposals into governance," she said, adding that she already has received suggestions since the proposal's release. Simon declined to comment on specific ideas.

Under the proposal, three colleges will be dissolved and dispersed to other parts of the university and no programs will be eliminated.

Simon's plan recommends forming a new college - the College of Communication, Arts, Languages and Media - that would combine several departments from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and the College of Arts & Letters.

The College of Human Ecology would no longer exist, but its programs would be divided throughout MSU. MSU's College of Social Science would receive a name change and expand to include the history, religious studies and philosophy departments.

Certain programs within the College of Arts & Letters, such as the Department of Theatre and the School of Music, were not specifically changed in the proposal, and will require "additional discussion and thought," the report said.

College of Social Science Dean Marietta Baba said she's looking forward to the possible changes to her college, as well as to the university as a whole.

"Deans are generally supportive of the plan," she said. "The idea for a new college is pretty exciting, new cutting-edge work.

"The cross-cultural communication, given our commitment for global research, makes sense to connect those - it all fits."

Baba said the budget will impact the university's personnel more than Simon's proposal.

"When we have a $70 million budget problem, something's got to give," she said. "The major threat is not reorganization."

College of Arts & Letters Associate Dean Patricia Paulsell said she has heard positive comments based on the planned changes.

"I'm sure there are people that aren't happy with it, but I haven't heard much of that," she said. "It gives Michigan State an opportunity to develop into something not only exciting, but truly unique that can have a national profile very different from liberal arts and humanities done anywhere else."

But not all MSU employees are praising the proposal.

Robert McKinley, an associate professor of religious studies, said the reconstruction only will benefit the university on the surface.

"I don't see any great gain other than cosmetic," he said. "I don't see much rationale for this - it's pretend reorganization.

"It's just moving things under different labels."

If the proposal passes, the administrations from the colleges of Arts & Letters, Human Ecology and Communication Arts and Sciences will be eliminated. Many of the faculty administrators could return to professor positions, but the clerical and technical staff might be at risk.

"We're very concerned about that," said Barbara Reeves, president of the Clerical Technical Union. "What that is going to mean in big picture? I don't know."

And Reeves said the uncertainty scares her.

"I'm distressed that if there are going to be changes this severe that will affect clerical and technical employees, we weren't consulted first," she said, adding that she plans on meeting with university officials to discuss the impact on the professional staff.

Some students say they, too, are concerned about the future impact of Simon's proposal.

Scott Henkel, president of the Graduate Employees Union, said he fears teaching assistants at MSU also are in danger of losing their jobs.

"There's a lot of language in her document about protecting and strengthening the land-grant institution and protecting and strengthening liberal arts," he said. "And I'm wondering how she's talking about protecting and straightening those two things while she's gutting graduate education at MSU."

Amy Bartner can be reached at bartnera@msu.edu

Meghan Gilbert can be reached gilbe109@msu.edu