New financial aid raises questions
Beth Sharb
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: News
2.6 million dollars allotted for financial aid is clearly a commitment
to retaining and attracting students. However, in economic times that
are already dire, how will Capital cut 2.6 million dollars from its
current budget to make up for the full or partial loss of the Ohio
Student Choice Grant? This year, the grant was worth $640.
Last year, political science professor William Dauer was not asked to
come back, much to the chagrin of students. Dauer was among several
term faculty eliminated. This year, interim dean of the college
Richard Ashbrook says that term positions will be evaluated again.
"When looking at the amount we spend on adjuncts and term positions,
we have to ask-can we hire less? Are there ways that we can more
efficiently deliver the curriculum?"
Some ways of "more efficiently" delivering the curriculum have
already been instated. For example, several departments required a
Research and Methods course that contained three fourths of the same
content. That problem has since been fixed, and now those majors all
take the same course, reducing faculty need in that area.
Ashbrook said, however, that decisions regarding the new financial
aid would be difficult. "To get the money, we've established a couple
of principles to guide us as to where the money will come from. We
won't make choices that hinder the quality of education or diminish
the quality of instruction."
Recalling the incident regarding Dauer and other term positions last
year, the university had approved 32 new faculty positions, nine of
which have been filled as of 4/20. The remaining searches have been
put on hold or are moving ahead cautiously.
The university has frozen all staff and administrative hires. Raises
have also been frozen. Raising the minimum and maximum cap on classes
is also a possibility for saving money. Of course, there is only a
finite amount of money to be saved in refusing raises and new hires.
to retaining and attracting students. However, in economic times that
are already dire, how will Capital cut 2.6 million dollars from its
current budget to make up for the full or partial loss of the Ohio
Student Choice Grant? This year, the grant was worth $640.
Last year, political science professor William Dauer was not asked to
come back, much to the chagrin of students. Dauer was among several
term faculty eliminated. This year, interim dean of the college
Richard Ashbrook says that term positions will be evaluated again.
"When looking at the amount we spend on adjuncts and term positions,
we have to ask-can we hire less? Are there ways that we can more
efficiently deliver the curriculum?"
Some ways of "more efficiently" delivering the curriculum have
already been instated. For example, several departments required a
Research and Methods course that contained three fourths of the same
content. That problem has since been fixed, and now those majors all
take the same course, reducing faculty need in that area.
Ashbrook said, however, that decisions regarding the new financial
aid would be difficult. "To get the money, we've established a couple
of principles to guide us as to where the money will come from. We
won't make choices that hinder the quality of education or diminish
the quality of instruction."
Recalling the incident regarding Dauer and other term positions last
year, the university had approved 32 new faculty positions, nine of
which have been filled as of 4/20. The remaining searches have been
put on hold or are moving ahead cautiously.
The university has frozen all staff and administrative hires. Raises
have also been frozen. Raising the minimum and maximum cap on classes
is also a possibility for saving money. Of course, there is only a
finite amount of money to be saved in refusing raises and new hires.
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