Ohio University's new executive vice president and provost Pam Benoit spoke with senate for the first time last night, discussing budgets, possible program cuts and funding for Intercollegiate Athletics.
Benoit gave a brief opening statement to senate, emphasizing her goal of improving relationships between senate and the provost's office.
Civil
honest and substantive conversations are the best means for us to establish and preserve a good working relationship she said.
After summarizing enrollment data - all OU campuses exceeded their targets, Benoit spoke about the current budget situation and what steps might be necessary to
close the deficit.
Because of the budget climate we are facing this institution will look different come this time next year
she said, calling on faculty to help her move the university forward. There will be things that we no longer do
but there will also be things that we must start to do and thing that we need to do more of.
Benoit also touched on the possibility of cuts to academic programs, saying she wants to find the best array of programs that will preserve quality
meet the changing needs of students
can be delivered effectively and efficiently
and provide the revenue that is
necessary to preserve quality.
Those statements brought the most questions from faculty. Steve Hays, an Arts and Sciences senator, asked the provost whether Intercollegiate Athletics would face cuts.
I as an academic am profoundly concerned that Intercollegiate Athletics seems to be off the table
Hays said. I understand that we academics might have to give some things. Our central mission may need to be hurt under these terrible circumstances. But there's something fundamentally wrong with leadership if athletics - which is not a central mission ... if that money continues to be poured out and is off the table for cuts.
Hays suggested the university poll undergraduates to determine how much money they're willing to spend on athletics. Benoit responded that all departments need to be held accountable for the money they spend.
I would say the accountability of the athletics program is not off the table
Benoit said, adding, We should not be singling out athletics - we should be asking that question of everything we do.
Joe Bernt, a College of Communication senator, questioned the wisdom of cutting programs when the university recruits students by citing large numbers of programs. Benoit said she doesn't think the discussion should be about the number, but rather the quality and
efficiency of the programs.
Let's reframe the conversation in a productive way
she said. Having a conversation about how you count the beans is not very effective.
Hays said in an interview after the meeting that he wasn't entirely pleased with Benoit's response, but that it was an improvement over previous answers.
I got the sense she sensed athletics is a high-voltage electric fence that she couldn't touch
