As reported in tonight’s Ann Arbor News, “1% hike in state aid for colleges” will mean about $800,000 more than expected to EMU from the state. Certainly that’s good news. Will this mean any restoration to the beyond the bones budget cuts inflicted on academic departments? I’m not holding my breath.
Update:
Just today, I got a copy of this letter (I’m sure many of you did as well, though this was actually addressed to “Steven”) from Freman Hendrix. It’s a little vague to me, but some explanation of where these returned funds are going to go:
Last night, the Michigan Legislature adopted the 2007-08 fiscal year higher education budget. As I’m sure you are aware, this has been a difficult fiscal environment in which to advocate for spending increases of any kind in Lansing. However, thanks to your unwavering support, Michigan’s 15 public universities will receive an increase in state funding for only the second time in eight years!
The 1 percent across-the-board increase amounts to an extra $755,800 in state support for EMU programming. In addition, EMU is being reimbursed for $62,900 in costs related to the Indian Tuition Waiver program, resulting in an adjusted increase from last year of $818,700, or 1.1 percent.
While this increase may appear modest, it is important to recognize that our increase comes at a time when the state is slashing nearly $500 million from the 2007-08 state budget. The Department of Health & Human Services, for example, is receiving $80 million in programming cuts. The Department of Community Health is looking at another $53 million in reductions.
HB 4350, the higher education budget bill, also makes official the one-time supplemental payment to reimburse all 15 universities for payments that were “delayed” last year to help the state avoid financial insolvency. This supplemental payment amounts to an additional $7.1 million that has been rightfully returned to EMU’s institutional reserve.
With the higher education budget process complete, our focus will now return to the state capital outlay process. Our University community, through our legislative outreach efforts, has worked tirelessly to educate state lawmakers as to the vital need to renovate Pray-Harrold. While this remains an extremely challenging political environment in which to secure capital funding, we remain confident that our continued efforts will eventually be rewarded.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout this year’s state fiscal budget process and say how important it is that we continue to work together to deliver necessary resources to Eastern Michigan University.
Sincerely,Freman Hendrix
Chief Government Relations Officer
Eastern Michigan University
Great, so now we’re only losing about 4 percent to inflation instead of 5.
What about the missed payment from the State in August?
That came in late the week of the budget shutdown, I think specifically on the 25th/26th of September, so we’re all good there for now.
ET, you seem to be saying that inflation is 5% now. I think it’s a lot lower than that, fortunately.
Mr. Freman’s email letter does contain very good news – that in addition to the 1.1% greater state appropriation for EMU this year than last, EMU is also getting reimbursed $7 million in “delayed” state funds from last year.
This is about $8 million in state funds not expected back in June – and that’s roughly twice the size of the cuts made (I think needlessly) to the academic budget for this fiscal year.
How much of the new state funds go back into academics this year will reveal whether Welch Hall intends to honor, or dishonor, the
“Education First” slogan.
I’ll also say that the improved lobbying efforts in Lansing, led by Freman Hendrix, constitutes the main good news EMU has had in the last year.
Tuition and fees went up 8% this year; enrollment for fall did NOT decline the projected 1% (despite our retention problems, we brouht in lots of new students, FITACs); and the state is forking over about $8 million that was not expected when the budget was drawn up.
So EMU on the revenue side is doing far better than expected. And I think EMU alone in the state made such
severe cuts to academic programs. What’s going on? Huge budget cuts to our core academic mission, but
many millions more in revenue for the university? (Yes, J, total tuition and fees x 8% = many millions).
Strange way to run a university. Students come here for the academic programs, and the bulk of EMU income is from sutudent fees and tuition. Gotta give more, not less, to come here for – higher ed is market driven, and EMU has the resources needed to cmpete more effectively than we do, if we’d use the resources more wisely.
Cuts to the academic budget in the last 4 or 5 years add up to about $21 million — and that adds up to a
lot of reasons for good students to transfer out to places with more adequately funded academic programs.
I am under the impression that the HEPI (Higher Education Price Index) sets inflation for the costs associated with a higher education at around 4-5 percent. That was last year, so I assumed that it hadn’t changed that much.
Good point, ET, regarding the HEPI; i confess i’ve not studied it. But i would also argue that if EMU was well managed, we’d be able to keep costs considerably lower than they are now by difecting resources away from a bloated administration where accomplishments usually matter less than loyalty to the system, and putting those resources into making education first among EMU’s priorities.
If EMU actually had an EMU Student Body President, which it doesn’t, then we would have had months ago the start of applying some pressure to ensure that money gets spent on academics rather than sitting around and hoping it will.
Instead, we have Greg Jones whose done.. well.. I have no idea what he’s accomplished thus far in his tenure.
Can anyone honestly tell me what the 9.5% tuition hike is being spent on because Greg Jones (whose job it is to find out) doesn’t know yet and either does anyone else.
Mr. MacMillian,
Get a life, please, or at least get informed before attacking people for things they are not responsible for. Greg Jones, the current EMU student body president, spoke forcefully and quite articulately at the September Board of Regents meeting; his topics included, if my memory serves, the inappropirateness of the University cutting the academic program budgets and raising spending on athletics.
President Jones is, I have observed, a strong advocate of student interests at EMU. This however does not mean that he or any EMU student body president has the power to over turn decisions made in Welch hall and by the Regents. No EMU student body president has much real power – that’s the nature of the job. It’s power is all as a “representative” and potential, latent power, which is rarely ultilized here or elsewhere, of organizing students to take collective action.
So Mr. MacMillian, if you want info on the budget, why don’t you ask the VP of Business & Finance, Janice Stroh, insteado f slaming Preisdent Jones? The VP is in charge of these things for the university.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Been there, done that, Dr. Higbee. Upon leaving Student Government in 2005, I advised new and veteran members of SG just to flat out ignore him. They pretty much did.
mark Higbee wrote in regards to Greg Jones,
“It’s power is all as a “representative” and potential, latent power, which is rarely ultilized here or elsewhere, of organizing students to take collective action. ”
So? When will that happen? My Grievance here is exactly as you admit to! You can tell me to get a life all you want.
But, Greg Jones has not bothered to exercise any real authority that he is entitled to as EMU Student Body President.
Instead of exercising collective action he tells me he basically doesn’t care and hasn’t given up on doing anything at all.
There was that form either you or someone else introduced here which one can fill out to file a grievance.
I think Greg Jones and the EMU Student Body rightfully has a grievance against Janice Stroh, Business and Finance director on a number of things.
Instead of filling out the grievance form or talking with EMU’s Judicial Services or consulting with a lawyer, Greg Jones hasn’t done a thing all Summer long and now all Semester Long.
He’s done nothing to be commending him over.
Janice Stroh should have been put under investigation for hiding the financial details of the Budget (Before and After) it’s approval:
1) Janice flatout refused to allow Greg Jones access to the Budget.
2) Janice flatout refused to allow Greg any participation on the Budget Committee a few weeks before the budget’s approval.
3) Janice’s secretary dismissed all of my phone calls and didn’t bother to answer any questions because apparently any questions related to EMU’s Budget was not allowed to be given an answer by Janice Stroh.
Mark Higbee wrote,
“So Mr. MacMillian, if you want info on the budget, why don’t you ask the VP of Business & Finance, Janice Stroh, insteado f slaming Preisdent Jones? The VP is in charge of these things for the university.”
It looks better coming from a Student Body President asking Janice Stroh those questions.
It looks better when we actually have an EMU Student Government (actually) doing anything useful in this area.
However, I did ask Janice Stroh a number of times as well as her secretary.
I asked her several other questions of which not one of those questions has received any kind of answer. I asked about the budget and the budget committee and the strategic operations council and all sorts of questions. I made several follow up phone calls and I made follow up e-mails.
Expecting Answers out of Janice Stroh at this point in time due to what went on during the Summer is pointless. It won’t happen.
You guys have been complaining and wrote up articles on here about Budget Secrecy yourself. How long did it take before any light was shed on whether Atheletics got an increase and by how much? It took at least 2 full months after the budget was officially approved.
Jim Allen wrote,
“Been there, done that, Dr. Higbee. Upon leaving Student Government in 2005, I advised new and veteran members of SG just to flat out ignore him. They pretty much did.”
That’s not the point Jim. I don’t care if anyone such as yourself wants to ignore me.
What I care is seeing that the EMU Student Body gets the political power and voice it paid millions and millions of dollars to have.
Anyone can dismiss this issue by simply saying as Mark has, “This however does not mean that he or any EMU student body president has the power to over turn decisions made in Welch hall and by the Regents. ”
That’s dismissal at its finest.
The time for Students to have real Political Power at EMU is NOW and I don’t see anyone making any moves to make that happen.
Student Body President Greg Jones has basically shrugged off all opportunities to create an Investigation into the Budget Secrecy.
You can’t ignore the fact that during Jim Allen’s entire tenure as Student Government Representative, he did absolutely nothing to change the way EMU Student Body Members are treated and the way Tuition is decided.
Jim Allen has spent more energy trying to get people to ignore ME than to fight for the EMU Students on this issue.
Go Ask EAGLE TALON about how wonderfully, politically powerful, our EMU Student Government has been in the past and is now. EAGLE TALON and myself can at least have the honesty and dignity to see a SCAM when we see one.
It’s a downright SCAM when the EMU Student Body isn’t givin any kind of political power what-so-ever.
It makes no sense and it is no way to run a University except down the toilet.
What I can’t understand, Jeff, is why you expect the STUDENT body president to represent YOU. You, as far as I can tell from your posts, are *not a student.* You are clearly a concerned citizen, alum, etc., etc. But it seems to me that if you have a bone to pick (or several) with the U, then you need to identify a more appropriate avenue. In fact, I believe that perhaps the regents are the designated representatives of “concerned citizens of Michigan” or something along those lines. Why don’t you start hassling them? Jones – or any student gov’t president – was elected by his constituents (current students) and you have no voice there. What you’re doing would be like me expecting the Prime Minister of Britain to pay attention to the fact that I don’t like his policies and want him to change to be more representative of my way of thinking. Now why won’t he answer my emails????
For what it is worth, Jeff, I agree with you that the advice simply to ask Janice Stroh about your budget concerns rather than the Student Government president was ill advised in the extreme and perhaps even a joke since it is so absurd a proposition on the face of it.
That is something like asking you to get important information from a stone or statue–not exactly the most fruitful or flexible of avenues to direct your inquiries.
Let’s try and refrain from personal attacks, tho, and have our focus be on the issues that we think need improvement in the university, not in the foibles that we see (or imagine) in particular people.
Are you sure that students do not have representation on the Budget committee? Faculty Council has several appointments, and the AAUP has one. Other groups should have representation as well.
Just for clarification, I’m happy to report that there is student representation on the new Budget Council. This is a marked improvement from years past where students were promised seats on a budget decision committee and subsequently denied year in and year out. I would like to applaud VP Stroh’s efforts to communicate with students. She has participated in several forums, spoken with the Student Government and the Student Leader group and has now added student representation. While there is still more progress to be made, this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Greg,
Could you explain or provide any details to this “Representation.”
It wasn’t but a couple weeks ago that you said you weren’t going to even pursue Student Body Representation on the Budget Committee until January.
Is that what you are referring to? Just saying that Stroh is “promising” that she will invite a student or students as representatives on the Budget Committee?
Or is there anything new going on here?
Has any student been a part of any Budget related meeting at anytime this semester?
Is there any place one can go to get any information about what is going on in those meetings?
Are we going to see the same style of Student Representation within the Budget Committee as we see in virtually all other meetings like UTAC?
This style is where our Student Representative(s) absolutely refuse to say anything about anything related to the meetings because they are told up front that they are not allowed to share any information or even so much as mention what was discussed?
It is one thing to say Students are getting representation but you have to assure us all here that you aren’t going to let this become nothing more than TOKEN representation.
For example: No one to date can even identify any details regarding the New Student Center’s plan being developed. We are told that one or two students from either Student Leader Group or Student Government developed the plan and idea….
But we don’t know any details beyond that to include the student’s names.
We simply are left in the dark so much that it is extremely difficult for someone like me to get excited and relived over your news that there is representation.
I will check (for example) your Student Government Website and I fully expect to see absolutely no information about this Budget Committee, its discussions, and so on.
EMU lecturer wrote,
“What I can’t understand, Jeff, is why you expect the STUDENT body president to represent YOU”
No. I never ever go beyond the request that has already been established that EMU Student Body members want.
Greg Jones ran for President based off of a number of already established issues that he and I both know the EMU student body wants.
And it is the same thing as this topic. The EMU Students just as much as you and faculty members all want to make sure our Tuition and Fees are being spent on Academics and spent responsibly.
That’s what EMU Students want.
That’s all I am wanting. When I hear from Greg Jones about how Janice Stroh flat-out denied him access to the EMU Budget when he asked to take a look, then that should send up a red flag to everyone!
Greg Jones and myself agree that there should be Student Body Representation on the Budget Committee as well as the Strategic Operations Council.
There’s no argument here.
The argument is from my view of things from a-far that there has been very little if any progress being made on these issues.
That’s it. If there is legitamit representation on the Budget Committe then I am happy.
Then I can start believing and having faith that EMU Students will finally have political power to improve things and get Academic Money!
This news about Millions of Dollars of Money coming to EMU…. You can rest assured Greg Jones wants the same thing here as YOU and ME. We all want that money to be spent responsibly.
The problem is that I have seen “Pseudo Progress” from Welsch Hall for far too long.
I have told the EMU Government on a number of occasions why they aren’t successful in changing things.
And the answer typically is: “Actually Jeff. We are working on it.”
And a year later? Nothing happens!
And the next Student Body President gets elected and promises and sings the same TUNE.
1 year later…. NOTHING HAPPENS!
And people wonder why I dropped my Master’s Degree program. What’s the use of sending EMU 1 penny more of my money if I know it won’t buy Students any respect?
Abby wrote,
“Let’s try and refrain from personal attacks, tho, and have our focus be on the issues that we think need improvement in the university,”
I completely agree and I got upset with Mark and Jim Allen when they basically tag teamed against me. Mark told me to get a life and Jim Allen decided to boast and brag about how the EMU Student Government hates me because he can control their minds or something.
Greg Jones wrote,
“Just for clarification, I’m happy to report that there is student representation on the new Budget Council.”
Why report that here? I can’t even find that report on your main website.
I completely understand the lack of updating your website is because you (who developed the website) are simply too busy to do it. However, I don’t think you’d spend any more than your Lansing Trip to hire an EMU Computer Science Student to update your website.
If your Website isn’t the avenue for an EMU Student Body Member to learn about any progress. Then what is the avenue?
Facebook? Your Facebook rarely if ever gets updated.
What? MySpace?
Where does an EMU Student actually learn about what happens?
The EMU Student Government Meeting Minutes posted/archived on your website was October 2006.
Greg Jones wrote,
“This is a marked improvement from years past where students were promised seats on a budget decision committee and subsequently denied year in and year out. I would like to applaud VP Stroh’s efforts to communicate with students.”
Do you applaud the way she treated you before the budget was approved with a 9.5% tuition hike? She told you that, “You can’t be on the budget committee because it is too late.”
That was at least 2 weeks before the Regents meeting!
“She has participated in several forums, spoken with the Student Government and the Student Leader group and has now added student representation.”
What was discussed in the forums? What was discussed in the Student Government meeting?
What was discussed in the Student Leadergroup meeting?
What questions/concerns have been addressed and which ones have not?
Has Janice Stroh revealed any official documents or just simply spoke at these meetings with no documented facts on the table?
Did she sound like she was delivering talking points (Jim Vick) or did she seem very willing to share actual details of what is going on?
“While there is still more progress to be made, this is certainly a step in the right direction.”
What progress needs to be made if you are saying everything has already happened?
What about all of this is missing? What is lacking?
What are your own personal thoughts about the information you have seen so far and heard from Janice Stroh?
Sorry to ask so many questions…. But it sure would be nice to see some actual answers made PUBLIC for every EMU Student Body Member to see and digest so they can come back to you with their own thoughts.
If no one from the EMU STUDENT BODY that was not present in these meetings/forums
is ever given a chance to know what’s going on… Then that’s a problem.
Whatever it takes… EMU Student Government’s #1 job is to inform their constituents!
FYI: ‘I will check (for example) your Student Government Website and I fully expect to see absolutely no information about this Budget Committee, its discussions, and so on.”
My prediction that there is no information regarding any of what Greg Jones said is 100% fact.
There’s nothing to make me believe anything Greg said actually happened.
EMU Lecturer made some other comments worthy of responding to,
“But it seems to me that if you have a bone to pick (or several) with the U, then you need to identify a more appropriate avenue. In fact, I believe that perhaps the regents are the designated representatives of “concerned citizens of Michigan” or something along those lines. Why don’t you start hassling them?”
As soon as I can pull out my trusty GPS tracking system and magically find a Regent available for comment I may do that. The last time I tried to talk to any Regent I got no where fast.
Mr. Incarnati’s secretary absolutely refused to allow me to speak to Mr. Incarnati no matter what the reasons or circumstances were.
The lady whose name I forget brushed me off and said talk to Mr. Floyd Clack.
The Regents website didn’t and probably still doesn’t list any contact information for me to talk to Floyd Clack.
All in all I found this appropriate avenue to be very inappropriate.
” Jones – or any student gov’t president – was elected by his constituents (current students) and you have no voice there.”
On the contrary any one should have plenty of voice there. There really shouldn’t even be a Graduate Student Senate because Greg Jones and the EMU Student Government was originally suppoesed to represent Students to include Graduate students.
Now it appears everyone wants to brush off everyone else and shoo them away.
The EMU Student Government…. Do they represent Graduate Students anymore? Or are they being represented by 2 different governments? Sure seems confusing to me.
Who are the Alumni being represented by? Where’s our Alumni Government?
I searched for one and there isn’t one. Therefore, by default, either Greg Jones and the EMU Student Government represent me or the Graduate Student Senate does… or no one at all.
The Board of Regents (already established) doesn’t have any constituents. They simply make decisions on their own and have nothing to do with anyone. They were never appointed/elected by Students or Alumni or Michigan Taxpayers. They are appointed by Jennifer Granholm and as such carry absolutely no accountability for their actions/decisions.
That’s the world EMU created. So, people like me have to sorta find our own government or create one if nothing is satisfactory!
EMU Lecturer also wrote,
“What you’re doing would be like me expecting the Prime Minister of Britain to pay attention to the fact that I don’t like his policies and want him to change to be more representative of my way of thinking. Now why won’t he answer my emails????”
I wonder how often President Bush (United States President) has responded to your e-mails?
Or for that matter how many Dinner engagements do you have or had with Jennifer Granholm?