Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Oct. 7, 2009, edition 1 / Page 23
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009 {The Blue Banner} Page 23 The Blue Banners View Administration deserves kudos for open budget forum In an effort to provide budget transparency, campus officials held a forum last week. The only thing missing was the audience. The Student Government As sociation and The Blue Banner sponsored the forum, which of fered the perfect opportunity for students and faculty to question administrators about spending cuts and tough decisions made re garding the allocation of funds. It was a major step in the right direction for an administration of ten criticized for a lack of trans parency. Yet the only attendees were a handful of SGA representatives. Banner editors and several stu dents. It is both hypocritical and em barrassing of professors and stu dents who complain about budget issues and a lack of transparency to not show up. Administrators, including John Pierce, vice chancellor for finance and operations, and Bill Haggard, vice chancellor for student affairs, If was a major step in the right direction for an administration often criticized for a lack of transparency. fielded and answered tough ques tions from participants following a presentation on the budget given by Pierce. Banner editors posed questions regarding the Environment Qual ity Institue closing, allocation of student fees, funding for the Pis- gah House and specific job cuts. Haggard reported, for example, on several cuts in administrative staff, including the loss of the di rector of community relations and director of media services. The lackluster audience means students and professors are more than happy to complain about is sues to one another and behind administrators’ backs, but they’re also either too scared, lazy or both to engage officials in a forum. The Banner has been critical of the administration in the past, but we aim to be fair. Adminis trators deserve kudos for partak ing in such a forum, as does SGA President Cortland Mercer for following through on a campaign promise to make these forums a reality. Looking at this on a broader scale, the lack of an audience means this campus doesn’t value democracy. Sure, it is a right to complain and do nothing about a problem. But it is a rejection of that same right to be critical and then do nothing when an opportunity comes along to challenge it. So when class sizes get larger, positions are cut and students lose extracurricular activities, don’t complain. Don’t say a word, be cause, in effect, this is the way you want it. If you wanted something else, you would have attended the fo rum. Students should have filled the room and been lined up against the walls. Administrators should have been sweating over tough questions and critical observa tions. But that’s not how democ racy works anymore. Instead of challenging campus officials, the theme now is to whine to friendly colleagues and fellow students while never investigating the facts. Maybe we expect too much of this campus. However, this is a liberal arts college focused on learning and viewing issues in a variety of ways. We can’t accomplish that by staying behind closed doors. What happened last week was nothing short of a failure on the part of faculty and students. The Karpm Hdl OI9 (828) 251 Jonathan Waiczak, Ed/tor-in-Gfi/ef Lorin Mallorie, Manag/ng Ec//tor Cassady Sharp, A/ewsEd/for Sam Hunt,/Arts & Features Ecf/for Greg Hicks, Spo/fs Ed/tor Susan Israel, Photography Ed/tor Tom McLean, Co-Campus Voice Editor Patrick Zsircone, Co-Campus Voice Editor Matt Starkey, Web Editor Editorial Board ■6586 www.thebluebmner.net Jesse Michel, Design Ed/tor David Milton, Ass/stanf News Editor Erin McWhorter, Assistant Arts & Features Editor lan Shanmn, Assistant Photography Editor Anna Kiser, Easiness Manager Patricia Furnish, Copy Des/c Chief Jason Howell, Promotions Director Alyssa Spencer, Distribution Director Michael Gouge, Faculty Adviser Have a tip? Jonathan Walczak Editor-in-Chief jmwalcza@unca.edu The Blue Banner is UNC Asheville's student newspaper. We publish each Wednesday except during summer ses sions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is located in Karpen Hall 019. The Blue Banner is a designated fo rum for free speech and welcomes let ters to the editor, considering them on basis of interest, space and timeliness Letters and articles should be e-mailed to banner@unca.edu. They should be signed with the writer’s name, fol lowed by year in school, major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a tele phone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.
University of North Carolina at Asheville Student Newspaper
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Oct. 7, 2009, edition 1
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