2008 Woodie Awards
Budget stripped of $196,000
Student organizations still have some money for events
By: Tiffany Kleekamp And Stephanie Covington
Issue date: 11/10/05 Section: News
At a Student Government Association meeting Nov. 8, administrators announced that a total of $2.5 million will be cut from Webster campus budgets worldwide in an attempt to make up for a $6 million tuition shortfall. Specifically, $196,516 will be cut from student affairs on the Webster Groves campus alone.
Student affairs consists of 12 departments: athletics, career services, campus ministry, counseling, campus dining services, housing and residential life, health services, multicultural affairs, international student advisor, student activities, orientation programs and the University Center. All these departments will be effected by the budget cuts.
Student affairs will lose a significant amount of funding and as a result of the budget cuts, money will be eliminated for programs in the spring semester.
Not only will student affairs' program funds be cut, but its travel budget also will be cut. Student affairs will no longer have the money to send students to conferences. The budget that usually covers gas, plane tickets and general conference costs will no longer be available.
At the SGA meeting, Ted Hoef, dean of students, stressed that programming won't end completely, but it will have to be restructured. One way he suggested would be for departments to co-sponsor events with student organizations, since the clubs' funds won't be affected by the budget cuts.
Residential Housing Association (RHA) can still hold events since residents in the dorms and Webster Village Apartments pay a $30 activity fee. Hoef said departments in student activities may co-sponsor events with RHA if they still want to offer students programs.
Hoef said that although student affairs doesn't have programming money for the spring semester, departments can still put on cheap events, like "First Fridays: Open Mic Nights." That event is based on student talent, so student activities doesn't have to hire entertainment.
Hoef said students will still have the opportunity to attend events on campus, like the Conservatory shows, athletic events and the Webster Film Series.
"The only ones with money right now are the student organizations," said Shay Malone, coordinator of the multicultural center. "They (student organizations) are the people with the ability to do more programming by combining with the student departments."
Malone said now her main focus is to come up with creative programming that involves little or no money. Malone said about $55,000 has been cut overall from the multicultural center and international adviser budgets combined.
The budget cuts came as a result of low enrollment The budget for the year is based on projected enrollment. A downturn in enrollment at military campuses is partly to blame for the budget shortfall, Hoef said. Overall, tuition was down $6 million in terms of overall revenue. Webster is tuition dependent, Hoef said. If enrollment goes down, budgets are severely affected.
The department program funds won't be the only thing affected. Fifteen percent of the overall budget for yearly employment will be cut, Hoef said, which means a combination of students' hours and jobs will be cut. Hoef said this would directly affect his office because without student coverage, his office will have to be closed during lunch hours.
WHAT WAS CUT?
Student affairs, which funds departments such as athletics, health services and the multicultural center, will have their budgets slashed to make up for a tuition shortfall.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
Many student events will be canceled or curtailed, such as the upcoming International Week events. Events sponsored by student groups and funded by SGA will not face cuts.
Student affairs consists of 12 departments: athletics, career services, campus ministry, counseling, campus dining services, housing and residential life, health services, multicultural affairs, international student advisor, student activities, orientation programs and the University Center. All these departments will be effected by the budget cuts.
Student affairs will lose a significant amount of funding and as a result of the budget cuts, money will be eliminated for programs in the spring semester.
Not only will student affairs' program funds be cut, but its travel budget also will be cut. Student affairs will no longer have the money to send students to conferences. The budget that usually covers gas, plane tickets and general conference costs will no longer be available.
At the SGA meeting, Ted Hoef, dean of students, stressed that programming won't end completely, but it will have to be restructured. One way he suggested would be for departments to co-sponsor events with student organizations, since the clubs' funds won't be affected by the budget cuts.
Residential Housing Association (RHA) can still hold events since residents in the dorms and Webster Village Apartments pay a $30 activity fee. Hoef said departments in student activities may co-sponsor events with RHA if they still want to offer students programs.
Hoef said that although student affairs doesn't have programming money for the spring semester, departments can still put on cheap events, like "First Fridays: Open Mic Nights." That event is based on student talent, so student activities doesn't have to hire entertainment.
Hoef said students will still have the opportunity to attend events on campus, like the Conservatory shows, athletic events and the Webster Film Series.
"The only ones with money right now are the student organizations," said Shay Malone, coordinator of the multicultural center. "They (student organizations) are the people with the ability to do more programming by combining with the student departments."
Malone said now her main focus is to come up with creative programming that involves little or no money. Malone said about $55,000 has been cut overall from the multicultural center and international adviser budgets combined.
The budget cuts came as a result of low enrollment The budget for the year is based on projected enrollment. A downturn in enrollment at military campuses is partly to blame for the budget shortfall, Hoef said. Overall, tuition was down $6 million in terms of overall revenue. Webster is tuition dependent, Hoef said. If enrollment goes down, budgets are severely affected.
The department program funds won't be the only thing affected. Fifteen percent of the overall budget for yearly employment will be cut, Hoef said, which means a combination of students' hours and jobs will be cut. Hoef said this would directly affect his office because without student coverage, his office will have to be closed during lunch hours.
WHAT WAS CUT?
Student affairs, which funds departments such as athletics, health services and the multicultural center, will have their budgets slashed to make up for a tuition shortfall.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
Many student events will be canceled or curtailed, such as the upcoming International Week events. Events sponsored by student groups and funded by SGA will not face cuts.