By Leanne Ofori-Atta

In recent months, some questions have been raised regarding Huntington University’s Gerontology program: specifically, if the program will continue to be offered in the 2015-16 school year, due to a decline of full-time professors in the program. However, Krishan Venkataraman, the Chair of the Gerontology Department, stated that the program is “well laid out and secure.”

“I don’t know that there’s any confusion in the program because the program is well laid out in the study guide book as well as online,” said Venkataraman. “We have three full-time professors and we occasionally will have some part-time professors as well… We have a lot of programs offered by distance; I would say the distribution is closed to fifty-fifty. The bulk of students studying Gerontology reside in different places, so it doesn’t make sense to do the program at Laurentian University when the majority of the students are anywhere in Canada. We need to have a certain number of students on campus to justify running the course.”

Venkataraman continued on to state that decision making in regards to the program is divided into two groups: academic and administrative.

“Overall, I have heard some rumours and have been slightly confused as to how things are being handled,” said first year nursing student Rachel Faubert, who admitted that, although she “love(s)” the course she is taking in Gerontology, she does “think the program is a bit disorganized in regards to the communication between faculty and students.”

The program, which studies old age and the process of aging is also home to the Huntington University Gerontology Society (HUGS), which often hosts events such as seniors information and active living seminars.

“In any case, if students are confused in the way the program is administrated, they should feel comfortable enough to contact the program director and ask for guidance. I see students regularly and there is no confusion once they have come to see me,” said Venkataraman.