ASMSU members consider potential department cuts
Tweet
Almost two weeks after proposals to discontinue dozens of MSU departments and programs were announced by MSU officials, ASMSU’s Academic Assembly took the matter into consideration Tuesday at its general assembly meeting.
ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.
At the Oct. 30 Board of Trustees meeting, MSU Provost Kim Wilcox outlined several potential department and program cuts that would help the university reduce its operating budget by about $50 million, or 10 percent, during the next two years.
Potential cuts included discontinuance of the departments of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and Geological Sciences as well as 30 additional majors, specializations and programs.
Academic Assembly representatives from various colleges discussed concerns ranging from how cutting departments and programs will affect the overall budget, possible loss of alumni relations from the cuts and how the cuts will academically affect students. Mary Burleson, Academic Assembly’s vice chairperson for internal affairs, told representatives to brainstorm ideas during the next few weeks in order to present an official view regarding the cuts and to reinforce the view with
facts.
“We need to choose a view … and we need to back it up,” Burleson said at the meeting. “How is cutting (these programs) going to make us a better university? What is cutting (these programs) significantly going to contribute to the budget?”
One representative, Mandy Griffin of the College of Natural Science, raised the question of how cutting certain departments or programs might affect other majors that require students take classes in those
areas.
“I want (the administration) to show us it’s going to be OK for other programs if these are cut,” Griffin said.
ASMSU officials did not return requests Wednesday for further comment.
The proposed cuts will filter through different university governing bodies, such as the University Committee on Academic Policy, in the coming weeks and months before being finalized.
Wilcox recently told the Executive Committee of Academic Council cuts could occur by the end of the spring semester. The departments and programs that might be on the chopping block likely will have admissions moratoriums placed on them.
The Board of Trustees has the final say in whether departments are cut and Wilcox and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon have final say over program cuts, which include majors, minors and specializations within a major.
University spokesman Terry Denbow said the university continues to be transparent during the process and will field comments and criticisms from students, faculty and staff. He said the best thing for anyone with concerns about potential cuts to do is analyze the situation and know the facts behind the recommendations before passing judgment.
“This is a time when people are going to have input, they’re going to be listened to and they’re going to be reacting to the recommendations,” Denbow said. “We’re going to be transparent.”
Commentary
Add your $0.02, go to the comment form or follow the comment feed
student
(11/12/09 10:12am)Report
What the student population should do is force ASMSU to return all of their budget and funding to the University in a yearly basis.
Think about it.
What do these “student leaders” do with our money? – Retreats? Check. – Concerts? Check. – Parties? Check. – Ridiculous activities? Check.
This a student organization that worst represents the undergraduate student population of MSU.
Not to mention that they are a bureaucratic animal.
john
(11/12/09 5:20pm)Report
Cut ASMSU!
student - get your facts straight
(11/13/09 12:55pm)Report
ASMSU is not funded through the university’s budget whatsoever, it is a separate entity…ASMSU is ONLY funded from a student-approved tax (which can be refunded by request) and also by donations, grants retrieved from outside organizations, and fundraising events.
So if you vote the ASMSU tax down next time it goes up on the ballot, you don’t have to pay. The $16.75 tax you pay WOULD NOT go to the university even if this tax was voted down. If the university wanted the additional $16.75 from you it would increase tuition (as it already has). If you want, request your ASMSU tax refund and then in turn, donate it to the university and see what happens. Even if a large number of students did this, departments would still be cut from the budget.
If you are going to complain about ASMSU, that’s fine – it is an organization rife with problems. But at least get your facts straight.
student
(11/13/09 4:26pm)Report
We know how you’re funded. The problem is that ASMSU doesn’t serve the students. All they do is come up with ridiculous events that do not support the student. Probably the only thing that supports students is free blue books.
How about impulsing academic activities? Academic events? Academic services? Academic support?
Also, if ASMSU did donated every single cent of the student tax, it would be enough to save one program. With around $500,000 more that’s certainly enough to pay for the administrative costs that the University is trying to save. It could be used to create multiple scholarships of a couple thousands so it can be used for a lot of students. Yes, we know that ASMSU already has scholarships. But this is about standing up and serving the student.
Right now ASMSU serves people, not students.
Who needs a newspaper when soon some of us won’t have an academic program? Who needs to go to a concert when some of us won’t have a class to attend? Who needs a luxurious year book when some of us won’t be there since we can’t afford increases in tuition?
But, of course, ASMSU students get paid good money every semester so they will look to the other side and cover their ears so they don’t hear what’s going on.
The University is doing it’s job in being more efficient but with such a decrease in state support some cuts just have to happen to help the budget and the financial stability of the entire University.
Now it’s the moment for ASMSU to be proactive in their actions. Now it’s the moment for ASMSU to stop every single ridiculous even planning or investigation about any issue. Now it’s the time for ASMSU to really represent the students and to help the University the students attend. It’s not about fighting with MSU, but about helping our University, the institution that the students that you represent attend, be the best it can be through these difficult times.
If ASMSU does not act this way, it is not any better than any person that wants the worst for this fine University and our alma mater.
Bottom Line
(11/14/09 1:21pm)Report
To student: what specific actions would you like to see ASMSU take? When was the last time you came to a meeting, talked with your college rep, or engaged on any level to make your opion/recommendations known? When was the last time you asked questions about what ASMSU was doing, instead of only taking your info from the newspaper? Bottom line: you don’t get to bitch if you’re not engaging.
student
(11/14/09 2:35pm)Report
I don’t lose my time with bureaucracy. I would maybe go to a Board of Trustees meeting, but ASMSU takes too much time for nothing. Besides, ASMSU students have an article every week, or so, about what they’re doing.
Engagement? You call engagement having meetings in Student Services? ASMSU doesn’t even try to communicate with the students online. The website is terrible. Engaging is a very generic word. One doesn’t have to be physically in a place to be engaging with what’s going on. Engaging can be as simple as interested in a topic.
Another thing, that last posts gives students a very good example of the receptivity of ASMSU to suggestions, student expectations and suggested ideas that deviate from what they’re doing. Look at the language and attitude of the last post. It’s evident that the last post comes from an ASMSU member due to the attitude of the post.
Furthermore, is that the attitude we, students, should expect from our ASMSU “elected” students to our suggestions?
My last post reflects enough on this and ASMSU, so I think it’s enough with my last post, the last post and this post.