Ohio University’s Budget Planning Council’s suggestion to raise tuition — combined with what some call a limited student voice — has created controversy, but new senate representatives have brought fresh voices to the table.
BPC, an advisory committee that sends recommendations to OU President Roderick McDavis on short and long-term budget plans and funding priorities, will start the new year with only five returning members.
Fewer than half of the council’s 16 voting members are representatives of different senate bodies on campus. OU Student Senate, Graduate Student Senate, Classified Senate and Administrative Senate all have one representative on BPC; Faculty Senate has three representatives.
During the first meeting of the year on Sept. 21, BPC familiarized new members with the budget with a presentation called Budget 101.
Budget 101 was very thorough and detailed, said Student Senate Treasurer Evan Ecos, though he noted that the transition to a Responsibility Centered Management budgeting model is a difficult concept.
“I think when we talk about the RCM model, there’s always going to be confusion unless that’s your profession or you’re a budgeting professional for the university,” Ecos said, who is currently serving as Student Trustee Allison Arnold’s proxy during Fall Semester because of a class conflict.
Student Senate President Zach George said the student voice on BPC is not large enough to proportionately serve the number of students at OU, but he added that students are still heard on the council.
“Students do have a voice at the table,” he said. “While it may be a small number (of student representatives), we do have a loud voice.”
Of the 16 voting members, seven are administrators, five are faculty members, three are students and one is a classified staff member.
Three of the administrator positions are vice presidents of the university, and three more are deans. Administrative Senate is represented by Chairman Josh Bodnar, assistant director of Residential Housing.
“(My mission is) to represent all of Ohio University,” Bodnar said. “Obviously, I have the most direct experience with the needs of the administrative staff, and then (I will be) keeping them engaged and informed in the planning process.”
bv111010@ohiou.edu
