Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The University is facing tough times. Our academic departments are facing record budget shortfalls. Our professors are losing their jobs and more and more students are having trouble paying for their tuition.
In light of these economic struggles, I am asking the student body to rally behind my proposal for a zero-percent fee increase for next year.
Let me be clear, I do not believe that any of our fees are unimportant, that any of them are being wasted, or that any should be cut under normal economic conditions. But these are not normal times.
Students are struggling to pay their rent, their utilities and their tuition. They cannot find jobs and some cannot afford to continue their college education if the price keeps rising.
As your president, I am not willing to increase your fees.
For this reason, I recently recommended a series of fee reductions to help offset the increased maintenance and operations costs at Watkins hospital. I have aimed these reductions in areas that would least affect employment and at departments that have the ability to generate their own additional revenue. Rest assured, no cuts will be made in either media or safety that will cripple the operations of any campus department.
Even so, I know that these cuts will hurt. Like every academic department on campus, departments operated by student fees will be asked to do more with less. If a fee is reduced, it’s not because we don’t value their contribution to the University, it’s because we simply can’t ask struggling students to give more.
Student Senate has led by example. A pending bill would reduce executive staff salaries to the university minimum wage and cut our office budget in half. These cuts will hurt our operations – but we can do it.
Jayhawks are resilient. We have seen tougher days and come out better from them. We have tough decisions to make, but I am confident we will come out with a more fiscally responsible and economically sensitive fee proposal that won’t increase your fees. I won’t have it any other way.
Campus fees will not increase next year
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Comments
Letter: Cuts are hard, but Student Senate will not increase student fees
Good work McGonigle. Everyone is bitching about their fees getting cut, but I can't afford to pay any more.
Letter: Cuts are hard, but Student Senate will not increase student fees
sjones86: I don't think everyone is "bitching" about fees just getting cut. We are concerned with how the matter was handled initially in secrecy. However, I do commend you for this article McGonigle for finally making public your ideas for cuts in every department except for the ones that cannot have cuts in order to still function.
Letter: Cuts are hard, but Student Senate will not increase student fees
I'm glad that an ideas are coming forward. But I do think coffee_pot is right. It's upsetting for you to tell us your meetings aren't secret or that they're all open to the public when frequently the Student Senate website tells us that the location is TBD, ten minutes before it's supposed to start.
Letter: Cuts are hard, but Student Senate will not increase student fees
I have to hand it to you, Adam. You have mastered the art of sounding like you are saying something without actually saying anything.
One of my favorite lines is: "Rest assured, no cuts will be made in either media or safety that will cripple the operations of any campus department."
What does that mean? You are still cutting from safety and media?
I know you're going to check the comments on this article tomorrow and I'd love a response. While you're at it, why don't you share the actual proposal. How much will be cut and from where will it be cut? If you want to be transparent with the student body, let's see it.
Please justify why we should cut what you are proposing instead of cutting part of the $40/semester athletics fee. KU Athletics' revenue last year exceeded its expenditures by $20 million. (http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/GetOneInstitutionData.aspx) It seems to me KUAC is one of the healthiest departments at the university. I'm not advocating they be punished for being successful. I am thankful for what they do. KU Athletics brings a lot of positive national exposure to the university, as well as recruits student-athletes who make many valuable contributions to campus life. And no one was happier last year than I was when we won the NCAA tournament. But shouldn't we be cutting first from those organizations who are least desperate?
Thank you in advance, Adam. See you tonight.
Letter: Cuts are hard, but Student Senate will not increase student fees
ooh he has a point.
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