Jim Ceresnak’s question to the administration at the open budget forum July 9th bordered on rhetorical as he noted that the Department of Undergraduate Academic Programs was slated to receive a 26-percent cut while the vice chancellor and provost units will be cut by 22.64 percent.
“Does this University value administrative support over academic support?” Ceresnak asked, adding how anxious it made him to ask such a question before the administration.
But Ceresnak’s question, the first from the audience of about 200 — made up of students, faculty and staff — set the tone for the rest of the forum. Administrators and audience members spoke candidly about the budget-creating process that has the University seeking ways to save money while protecting its academic core.
Chancellor Jim Woodward said the sentiments expressed by the president of the student body did not fall on deaf ears as he vowed that he would personally revisit the proposed cut of DUAP, a department largely consisting of academic support groups that range from tutoring and advising to New Student Orientation and First Year College.
“I heard loud and clear the concern expressed about cutting too much of the budget of these student support units,” Woodward said following the forum. “We will go back and re-look at that. I will re-look at that.”
Provost Warwick Arden also said the inquiry about DUAP’s cuts were valid, and said it would ignite a brainstorming session about other ways to cut services while protecting student support programs.
“I think their questions about DUAP are very valid and very real,” Arden said following the forum. “Are we going to accomodate those [services] in other ways? Are we going to shift some resources around? Perhaps we need to think a little more creatively.”
And while the administration’s budget-creating body has largely focused on avoiding cutting colleges, Ceresnak said it was just as important to protect programs that aided students.
“DUAP is a division that provides vital services to students,” Ceresnak said Wednesday. “No one will ever graduate from the Department of Undergraduate Academic Programs, but how many students would not have graduated or would have had a tougher time graduating without the services [it] offers?”
Woodward said the administration and budget-building team heard the concerns expressed about DUAP’s fate. He was also encouraged that the department heads heard what students had to say.
“I wanted the academic leadership that’s responsible for putting the final budget together to hear the concerns expressed by students,” Woodward said. “The impact of the student comments is very real. The people who will make these decisions about how to allocate these cuts in the department heard these concerns as well.”
Student Senate President Kelli Rogers said cuts of the magnitude the University is dealing with will pose problems for student services, but said DUAP’s value to the University is somewhat understated.
“Academic cuts are always difficult because, no matter what, someone is going to be upset about it and it’s going to hurt some student’s education,” Rogers said. “DUAP does a lot of stuff extra for students that students need.”
Rogers said DUAP was “one of the few departments on campus that understands the importance of advising,” and that, while it may lessen the blow colleges must take, it fills a void that individual colleges often can’t.
“I understand that the University needs to make these cuts and cutting DUAP would lessen the affect it would have on classes for students — if they cut DUAP they might be able to save some classes,” Rogers said. “But, right now, DUAP is filling the role that other areas of the University should be filling and are failing to do so, especially with advising.”
Ceresnak said while colleges and majors offer advising, those changing degree programs or seeking to double-major may not get all the information they need from department-specific advisors.
“Sometimes it’s good to have that independent advising service,” he said.
Ceresnak said he followed up his questioning at the forum with a letter to Arden, and said he simply wanted the administration to “take a second look” at DUAP.
“I’m not trying to make [the administration’s job] any more difficult,” Ceresnak said. “There are compromises to be made but, if we can, I’d like to soften the blow academic support programs take.”
Still, not all student concerns were heard at the forum, as junior in computer engineering John Kravtra pointed out. Kravtra was concerned about facilities and renovations to campus buildings.
“I wonder how [the cuts are] going to affect housing,” Kravtra said. “There were plans to replace Lee And Sullivan because they don’t meet compliance and for other reasons, but I’m sure they will be delayed.”
Arts & Entertainment Editor Bobby Earle contributed to this story.
