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Metro’s Interim President Ray Kieft, released $425,000 from
the budget earlier this month for technology and equipment purchases
by the college’s three academic schools.
The School of Business, Letters, Arts and Sciences and Professional
Studies generated priority lists of needs and submitted them to Kieft,
Vice President of Academic Affairs Joan Foster, and Vice President
of Administration and Finance Mike Barnett for consideration.
“The money is to be spent by end of the fiscal year 2003-2004.
This is one-time funding; it will not be available again,” Sandra
Haynes, interim dean of Professional Studies said.
Business Dean Jim Robertson oversees six departments at Metro. He
said the request for funding was for two primary uses: Faculty laptop
computers to be used with the smart classrooms, and to update the
dedicated computer lab for the school.
All the money funded is for the educational needs of the students,
he said.
An initial breakdown of the numbers show Business receiving $35,000,
Letters, Arts and Sciences getting $209,000 and Professional Studies
in line for $181,000.
A total amount of $850,000 was actually determined for use, Barnett
said. Half of the total amount has been released so far, the other
half is frozen until next semester. The unfreezing of this money is
contingent on whether budget projections for next semester are met.
This is the first time in recent history the administration has released
appropriated funds in addition to the regular cycle of funding for
these types of purchases, Barnett said. The money came from a larger
pot of state appropriated operating funds for fiscal year 2003-2004.
“It is money that can be used for any appropriate use the
institution deems as a priority,” Barnett said.
Barnett said this is a one-time transaction. The funding cannot be
used for items like faculty salaries, which is an on-going expense
for the college. These funds can be used for one-time expenses such
as the additional funding for equipment purchases.
Norman Provizer, Political Science professor questions if this is
the best possible use of these funds.
“The problem is that in ongoing bad times, it requires a more
careful look at what are the overall priorities of the institution,”
Provizer said.
He said there are departments that have special equipment needs and
those departments have been bumped in the past.
“The funding clearly addressed a need,” he said.
To access technology and equipment needs, the deans of three academic
schools put out a call for equipment priority lists to each of their
department chairs. Then, the deans met with administrators and determined
how much money would be used and allocated.
The use and release of these funds was authorized by Kieft and sanctioned
by Foster and Barnett.
Cathy Lucas, director of College Communications said the money was
made available only to academic departments, specifically for supplies
and materials the departments expressed need for.
Haynes oversees 10 departments in Professional Studies, three of
which rely heavily on technical elements, and Letters, Arts and Sciences
has 23 departments in its school.
“Unfortunately, at the present time there is not enough money
to accomplish our goals completely. The chairs will meet again to
determine the school’s allocation and prioritize the use of
the funding,” Robertson said.
“We are so grateful — in the school, the equipment needs
are great — as technology advances our need for up-to-date equipment
increases,” Haynes said.
Haynes, along with Business and Letters, Arts and Science has to
wait to see how they will more precisely divide up the funds. They
have only received half of the total amount to date.
Letters, Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies have already
dedicated some of their allocations to fund a new $150,000 digital
media lab at Metro. Art, Communication Arts and Sciences and Technical
Communications departments, in particular, put forth part of their
allocation to this effort. The lab will be dedicated to a newly created
digital media minor which integrates courses of these three departments.
Of the funding requests each school submitted, $850,000 was the full
amount funded for the technology and equipment purchases. This allocation
was made in part on actual earnings through the end of the second
fiscal quarter and part in projections through to the end of the fiscal
year 2003-2004 which ends June 30.
The college’s second-quarter results showed enrollment, a primary
source of the college’s income, had exceeded projections this
semester. Next semester’s projections have been made, and we
will have to wait and see if they are met.
“Look, we have a whole ton of need; sometimes this is not decided
on priority but on circumstances. Take it for what it’s for
or don’t take it at all,” Provizer said.
During these budget-constrained times, the unfunded might take offense
to the funded, Provizer said. “The thing no one wants is people
snipping at each other.”
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