Because of the recently released budget reduction scenarios, Ohio University held its third budget forum of the year yesterday in Ellis Hall.
A panel, which included Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs John Day and Associate Vice President for Finance Mike Angelini, fielded questions from about 35 administrators, faculty members and students after a brief presentation by Benoit.
Because Ohio’s legislature has yet to pass the budget, OU’s $9.6 million projected loss for the Athens campus is not final, Benoit said.
There are still many “moving parts,” and OU will continue to look into cost-saving measures, faculty-parking fees and finalizing investment strategies, she added.
With possibility of a tuition increase looming, students and faculty both questioned under what circumstances an increase would be implemented, and how exactly those funds would be utilized.
“(The Board of Trustees) made it pretty clear that we went after serious cost saving before we made a tuition increase,” Benoit said. “…They would not be willing to use a tuition increase to offset the cuts that would come from the state subsidy cuts.”
Attendees also asked about OU’s focus on academic funding, as the College of Arts and Sciences and the Scripps College of Communication proposed cutting certain elective courses in the scenarios. On Friday, departments across the university released reduction scenarios, which detail possible budget cuts.
“We will continue to offer our most important courses,” Benoit said. “The things that are most critical (we kept).”
John Gilliom, chairman of the political science department, expressed concern about whether or not OU can maintain academic quality.
“I hope we’re thinking seriously about filling some of the holes in the faculty as the result of 9 years of budget cuts, because we have some big gaps,” Gilliom said.
Another professor questioned how accessible the endowment funds are to academic units.
“Colleges have the greatest opportunity to take advantage of foundation funds,” Angelini said in response. “I think part of it is awareness and knowing some of these funds are available … and units knowing how to take advantage of these funds."
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