Student advisory committee creates proposal for reallocation of OU funds

Members of the Student Senate Advisory Committee recently voted to reallocate $570,000 from different Ohio University departments, submitting a proposal to the OU Board of Trustees this past Friday, May 18. Their most substantial proposed cut of $500,000 came from the athletic department, though the reduction would only be a small slice of the department’s massive $13.6 million budget. When the department cut four sports teams in January, it saved approximately $685,000 million. But, according to the student committee in a recent Post article, the athletic department could stand to shave off plenty in expenses related to travel, entertainment and honoraria, and still generate enough through ticket sales to compensate for the loss.

Career Services and Judiciaries, which are currently supported by the general student fee, would experience $13,000 and $2,600 in cuts. This to me seemed ridiculous considering that the committee wants to remove the two departments from the general fee, and allocate $340,000 in funds to an Arts for Ohio program. To my knowledge, the program is focused on providing students with free admission to fine arts events and is scheduled to be in place by 2009. Now it’s not that I don’t value the incorporation of fine arts into the collegiate experience, but I’d rather see a portion of my four-year investment put toward career resources and services that will help me maneuver the already saturated, entry-level job market.

The committee also voted to give more than $100,000 to Counseling Services, $65,000 to the Student Activities Commission and $32,000 to Psychological Services. I guess we’ll see how these suggestions pan out when the OU Board of Trustees meets to discuss the propositions, and then finalizes the university’s budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year at the end of June.