Ten of Ohio University's most influential figures told The Post last week they'd like to talk about tuition hikes, staff furloughs and the university's troubled budget behind closed doors.
Along with six others, they've met five times this year to figure out how OU should handle the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Only two members of the group, called the Budget Planning Council, think you should hear firsthand how the council wants to spend tuition dollars and taxpayer money.
OU continues to argue that it doesn't have to open meetings to the public because the council only makes recommendations and doesn't actually decide anything. Although that's true, the council's recommendations carry immense weight.
For starters, it's co-chaired by Pam Benoit, executive vice president and provost, and Bill Decatur, senior vice president for Finance and Administration. Both report directly to OU President McDavis and wield significant clout. The council also includes Student Trustee Chauncey Jackson, a non-voting member of the board; the elected leaders of students, graduate students and faculty; and several deans.
So when the council recommended in July that OU raise tuition 3.5 percent Winter and Spring quarters, the board listened. Trustees complained they hadn't heard much about a tuition increase before, but they trusted the council's judgment and approved the increase anyway.
By closing the council's meetings, OU hides the discussions that shape university policy from the public. That's wrong and it needs to stop.
But if OU insists on hiding behind the flimsy excuse that it's not required (but could, if it wanted) to open council meetings, it should at least publish proper minutes.
As of yesterday, no trace of the July 31 meeting where the council recommended the tuition hike appears on its Web site. When asked about the missing minutes, a university spokeswoman assured The Post that notes from the meeting do exist and that minutes will be posted as soon as they possibly can. They're working on it right now.
If OU actually wants to make minutes from its closed-door meetings available, it has plenty of work to do.
Minutes for three of the five meetings this fiscal year aren't available. Minutes for six of the 24 meetings last fiscal year aren't available. Minutes for eight of the 18 meetings during fiscal year 2008 aren't available.
The available minutes don't say much. The documents rarely contain names and often don't include critical information. When asked to explain, an OU spokeswoman responded, No formal guidelines exist for taking notes at BPC meetings. Remarks are not typically captured in full and are not attributed to any one member.
By closing council meetings to the public and keeping shoddy minutes or not posting them at all, OU shows its clear disdain for the people who teach, learn and work here.
Provost Benoit, Senior Vice President Decatur, we urge you to open council meetings to the public. And if you can't stomach that, at least post real minutes and post them promptly.
Editorials represent the views of The Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
Budget Planning Council anything but transparent
