Rachel Kohman, senior director of the Center for Student Involvement, speaks to those in attendance at the beginning of the open forum about proposed funding cuts last Thursday in the Preston Family Room. During the forum, students had the opportunity to speak about their organizations and ask questions about the proposed cuts.
Students gathered to question the proposed funding cuts to several organizations on campus, speak about the effects the cuts would have if passed and demanded to know the reasoning behind the process last Thursday during an open forum. The forum was held by ASG President Megan McReynolds, junior sociology major, in the Preston Family Room.
The forum was held in response to concern from students about the proposed cuts and was an attempt to “clarify the purpose, reasoning, and impact of the proposed reductions, while also giving opportunities for open dialogue,” according to an email sent by McReynolds to campus April 2.
The proposed cuts are in response to the rising costs of tuition and are an attempt for students to take control of their fees, according to McReynolds.
“Our overarching question when examining this issue was ‘Can students make a difference in the cost of attendance here at ESU?,’” McReynolds said. “This proposal is to show that we will no longer be complacent as students and we want a say in where we are spending our money, therefore we are getting involved in this situation to value our education and ourselves through our fees, where our state may feel they do not need to do the same.”
According to McReynolds, the purpose of the meeting was not to persuade, but to inform students about why the bills were proposed.
About two hours prior to the forum, Megan McReynolds sent out an email to campus, informing everyone that there had been a change of plans and the last half of the meeting would be now be reserved to have a conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion at ESU.
Several students asked McReynolds about the Senate Line Item Policy, which states that groups who are facing proposed decreases “will be advised of this desire to decrease a line item amount and will meet with the Fiscal Affairs Committee to discuss the proposed changes.”
Stephen Holbert, sophomore music and theater major, cited the policy and asked whether any of the groups met with the committee.
“Further up in the policy…it identifies what a meeting looks like and so that meeting can be one of three things, it can be in person, over email, or on the phone,” McReynolds said. “So because our fiscal affairs committee has been swamped lately, they met that need through an email.”
Zach Palmer, president of Quivira Club and junior interdisciplinary studies major, asked about the email meetings and where they should have been sent.
“I’m just curious on where those emails need to go in order for it to be considered a meeting,” Palmer said. “Who needs to receive those?”
The emails are sent to the point of contact that is the clearest for the particular line item, McReynolds said.
According to Palmer, none of the officers for Quivira received an email from fiscal affairs.
“Well, someone from Quivira was contacted, I’m assuming, because Quivira knows about it,” McReynolds said. “But again, that’s not under my jurisdiction.”
The Fiscal Affairs Committee are responsible for holding the meetings and sending out information regarding proposed cuts, according to McReynolds.
Several students spoke out against the proposed cuts to the Performing Arts Board (PAB), which funds programs in music, theater, debate and creative writing.
The PAB received an increase last year, but before that had not received an increase in funding since 2002.
“That increase held steady for 14 years, while the…cost of materials for the three main things that we use to build our sets, being an 8×4 sheet of plywood, an 8×4 sheet of masonite and an eight foot long 2×4, have all increased by a minimum of 255 percent, over doubling in their prices,” said Matt Mahr, junior theater major. “Merely adjusting for inflation, from $15.85 in 2002, that would put what our line item amount should be to have the same amount of buying power at over $22.”
Mahr asked why PAB was being cut to an amount lower than they received in 2002.
“When we don’t have this money and we start reducing what we can do, that is directly conflicting with what ASG says is the purpose of these line items, which is to get the maximum amount of growth and development for every single student on this campus,” Mahr said.
McReynolds said that the PAB is a complex issue and there are a lot of misconceptions about it, including some students saying that the department is being cut.
“To begin, Associated Student Government, whether it’s any line item, allocates a certain amount of money to, in this instance, the Performing Arts Board,” McReynolds said. “This board, from what happens there on Associated Student Government is not involved in that process in any way shape or form. This is just our allocation process, just like we give any line item a certain amount of money and they decide how it will be spent.”
According to McReynolds, this year the PAB has heard proposals that equal over $300,000 and were able to award approximately $200,000 of the requests.
“So, if we look at the numbers and assume that ‘Hey, if we’re not getting the funding we need, then how are we still operating’, if we’re not able to award the full amount requested, we’re still doing a great job as Emporia State University funding our proposals and doing incredible things as Hornets,” McReynolds said.
McReynolds said that where the funding went was the board’s decision and was not her responsibility nor a topic that she was able to speak about.
The music and theater departments are constantly evolving, needing repairs for instruments, costumes, and growing in size, according to Tanner Doty, public relations major.
“Why are we making cuts to a department that needs it the most?” Doty said.
“I like to think that all of our departments here are on ESU’s campus are evolving and they’re doing an incredible job, it doesn’t matter what department we’re speaking about, ESU’s campus is incredible,” McReynolds said.
McReynolds then directed the answer to the Performing Arts Board, saying that the cuts are just a proposal.The board makes the decision on where to allocate to, so it’s the board’s decision where the money goes, McReynolds said.
“Right, but what you’re doing right now is directing all of the questions to blaming it on the board, when you’re actually the PR person so you should have answers for us, not the board,” Doty said.
Students also asked McReynolds for answers regarding where the money from the proposed cuts would go and what the amount would be.
“It seems like these cuts are going to cut out a lot of what enriches this campus and community of students that we have here on campus, I wanted to know…what’s the idea behind where these new funds that we’re going to have at our disposal, cutting and taking away from other organizations,” said Mike Abell, senior secondary education major. “Is there an idea as to where these will be reallocated?”
The funds will go right back into students pockets and will not be allocated anywhere else, McReynolds said.
Katelyn Dorrell, graduate English student, asked if there was a specific dollar amount that was being saved per student.
“I can’t give you the exact dollar amount and the reason I can’t is because that’s assuming that every single proposal brought forward to…our senate was voted as is and so I don’t want to in any way highlight that number, because, again, amendments are able to be made to each of these bills,” McReynolds said.
When asked to give an estimate of the amount if all the bills were passed as is, McReynolds declined to answer.