By Joann Groff and Sarah Carrillo
New Editors
The first phase of the school-wide budget cuts and reallocation has kicked off — now the wait begins.
Seaver Dean Dr. David Baird met with the University Planning Committee last week and presented a preliminary report with his recommendations on how to reallocate $1 million from Seaver College back into the administration’s general fund. The money will go chiefly toward a retiree medical benefits program and a new computer system.
“I did present preliminary information about our prioritization process and possible sources of our reallocation assessment, pending the completion of our process,” Baird said. “All of the five schools presented similarly.”
Baird would not elaborate on any of the ideas given because the decisions are not final, but did say the reaction from the UPC was “positive.”
“Since all of our discussions are still preliminary, it would not be appropriate for me to be specific,” Baird said. “But I can tell you that we recommended a course of action whereby we can meet our assessment via additional revenue and reduction of expenses, both in
personnel and operations.”
Now the UPC, made up of the president, vice presidents, deans and others, will review the presentations given by Baird and representatives of the other four schools. Next month, results of their deliberations will be revealed to the University’s administration.
These discussions will determine the reallocation process, the first of two processes which will take $1.6 million from the University and redistribute $600,00 into University programs and $1 million back into the general fund.
There have also been developments in the second part, the prioritization process, which entails chairs reviewing all programs in their division. A deadline extension has been granted for chairpersons to complete their program reviews.
“Most Seaver program reviews will not be submitted until the middle of April,” Baird said.
This is an alteration from the original schedule, which had March 31 as the final date. A two-week extension has moved the deadline to April 15.
According to Baird, the $1 million reallocation decisions will not be finalized until next fall after the program reviews have been studied. However, both the $1 million reallocation to the administration and the $600,000 reallocation within the University will be implemented in Fall 2005.
Baird said this process was a challenge, but that it is going well.
“The recommendation, and I emphasize ‘recommendation,’ on how we meet the $1 million allocation assessment in 2004-2005 is largely my responsibility and has not been particularly onerous, although I am at times mystified as to the reaction of some of my colleagues,” Baird said.
“The challenge has been to keep everyone on task,” he continued. “There is stress, of course, but on the whole I think the process is going quite well.”
As Baird and the administration make progress on the assessment, many students feel left in the dark about the whole process. Students say they have little knowledge about the reallocation. Their reactions reflect a lack of information and are largely based on rumors.
Although students have not been involved in the process yet, Baird said students may have an opportunity to give input fall semester. Most students will be gone for the summer when some decisions are made at the end of April.
“I haven’t heard anything about it,” said junior elementary education major Jen Gomez. “I didn’t even know this was happening.”
For many students, their only source of information about the budget is the Graphic.
“All I’ve heard about is what was written in the Graphic,” junior finance major Jeremy Stolee said. “The thing that’s frustrating is that Pepperdine spent millions on a graduate campus, making it this huge extravagant thing and now we’re in a situation where we have to cut programs. There was a story (in the Graphic) about the hotel up there and how it had Egyptian cotton sheets and flat screened TVs in every room — it’s crazy. We need to take a step back and look at funding and look at students’ priorities.
“Another example is they’re installing intercom systems in Towers now so it’s easier for people to come visit,” Stolee continued. “But I would personally rather have 100 people in an advertising major than have it easier for me to open the door.”
Junior Political Science major Stefanie Cruz said she is also concerned with the way the school has spent money.
“It’s sad, but I think the money at the school wasn’t well spent in the first place,” Cruz said. “It just seems like we overspend on things that aren’t necessary, like Midnight Madness. And how are you going into a budget crunch but yet we had a whole new campus built? Was that not well thought out?”
Other students said they heard people talk about what changes may be made but are unsure what will happen.
“All I know are rumors — people are going around saying (the Public Relations major) may be cut or it may not be cut and we don’t know if current majors will be able to finish,” junior Public Relations major Melissa Rister said. “I haven’t thought about it that much, I feel Pepperdine wouldn’t cut a program when people are in progress with it, that would be really weak of them. I’m sure people would do something about it …”
Many rumors about possible cuts are circulating through campus, leaving some students apprehensive about the future.
“It worries me because I feel like the school spends money on palm trees and image-type things but not as much on academic facilities,” junior telecommunications major Bri Dellinger said. “The reason we’re here is for an education and they’re taking that away from us. I heard they’re going to take away scholarships and student worker positions, which directly affects me. What the (Communication Division) needs now is more faculty and they’re going to take faculty away before we’ve reached a satisfactory level for such a large major.”
Junior Public Relations major Diya Wahi said he is also concerned the reallocation may take funds away from his education.
“They say every major and every program is in jeopardy and that majors like advertising and public relations are at the top of the list,” he said. “I have big concerns. I think it’s ridiculous that Pepperdine has been able to find so many donors for dumb things like palm trees, but they can’t find donors to fund our education. In college we’re supposed to have freedom to choose majors and career paths and I feel like Pepperdine is limiting those choices.”
Submitted March 25, 2004