The highly regarded and deeply revered 2020 strategic plan calls for a more transparent budgeting model.
“Clear communication, transparency and understanding are vital as the university embarks on restructuring the process by which it budgets its funds,” the plan reads.
Yet the examination process of alternative models is shrouded in secrecy.
Members of the budget task force, which is responsible for finding a substitute, refused to even comment on the initial impressions made by the eight alternatives.
“I think it’s important to let the task force do its work before commenting on an implementation timeline or on the specifics of any given budget model,” said Neal McNally, budget director and task force leader.
YSU administrators can recite their worn-out “students first” rhetoric all they want, but when students inquire about what goes into making the university operate, they’re left in the dark.
Worst-case scenario: The entire funding model, which dictates who gets what and who gets to distribute it, completely changes.
So, about that “clear communication” bit.
How can students, who fuel the budget with their tuition dollars, be rejected the right to know where those funds go?
To ensure that students are informed, The Jambar has requested copies of all materials pertaining to the task force’s progress, even down to the last travel receipt.
We’d like to let the students know how their university will be funded next year … sometime before the board of trustees passes the budget during the slow and inconspicuous summer months.
Because nothing of importance gets passed in the summer — just tuition increases and mandatory fees.
