In an attempt to improve administrative efficiency and deal with impending budget reductions, three OASIS administrators and one OASIS advisor have been notified that their positions will be eliminated as of mid-June.
OASIS, part of the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs, has advisors who help students that seek to change majors. OASIS advisors also assist Pack Promise Scholars students and pre-law students.
John Ambrose, interim vice provost of the Division of Undergraduate Affairs, said the cuts will save the University “$357,000 and change.” The cuts are a permanent yearly savings to the University since the division’s yearly budget has been reduced indefinitely.
The administrative cuts will not reduce the OASIS advisors’ capacity to advise students, according to Ambrose.
“Our effectiveness in advising will actually increase,” Ambrose said. “A lot of things OASIS has done, it will continue to do. It’s just that we’ll reassign the responsibilities.”
Ambrose said the elimination of administrative positions within the OASIS program was the only way to deal with the budget cuts.
“It’s always unfortunate when you have to deal with eliminating positions, but there’s just no way of getting around that,” Ambrose said. “That’s going to be happening across campus.”
This round of cuts is not the first for the Division of Undergraduate Affairs.
“I think it’s important to understand that during the last round of cuts, we took down 13 positions in this division. Our people have suffered a considerable reduction,” Ambrose said.
Victoria Jennings, a freshman in communication, said she has never sought advising outside of the advising her college provides. In fact, she had never heard of OASIS, or any other programs under the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs umbrella.
“I have been to my College of Humanities advisor four or five times,” Jennings said. “My advisor was helpful.”
DUAP offers a tutorial center at Park Shops located on North Campus. Casey Peterson, a freshman in psychology, said she has utilized the center several times since she entered N.C. State in August.
“I go to the tutorial center. I hope the tutorial center isn’t cut,” Peterson said.
Peterson said she hopes the money saved with campus-wide budget cuts will positively affect the price she pays for tuition.
“Our tuition is already going up,” Peterson said. “If [administrators] save that money, it’s going to make our tuition go down.”
