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NEWS
Financial setbacks call for re-examination of financial policies
By Victor Lopez
Staff Writer
With Board of Trustees meetings looming, coupled
with the new fiscal year approaching, Guilford College
administrators continue to try to understand the long-term
implications of the new state-based aid fund and what
those changes will mean for the college as a whole.
Randy Doss, vice president for Enrollment Services, told
The Guilfordian that the administration is working hard to
lessen the financial impact for future students.
"We are studying the many variables involved in an
attempt to create policies and procedures to lessen the
impact these reductions will have for as many students as
possible," said Doss. "The lack of state-based funding will
mean the college will seek more out-of-state students in the
coming years."
Director of the Friends Center and Campus Ministry
Coordinator Max Carter told The Guilfordian that
Guilford's recruiting practices have focused on equality
rather than socioeconomic status.
"During times of financial change, some colleges have
found it easy to recruit wealthier students while ignoring
those who have need, a marketing strategy Guilford
has resisted," said Carter. "Over the years, Guilford has
recruited very carefully—finding ways to be within the
very fine line of the frills offered by High Point University
and the sprawling campus of Elon."
Dr. A. Hope Williams, president of the North Carolina
Independent Colleges and Universities, visited Guilford
College on Jan. 20 to meet with senior staff members
regarding the state's new blueprint for financial aid as it
applies to Guilford College.
The NCICU represents independent higher education in
the areas of state and federal public policy and on education
issues with the other sectors of education in the state.
North Carolina legislators eliminated the state's current
student aid program for private colleges and universities,
affecting student financial aid at Guilford College by $2.2
million over two years while a new, centralized need-based
system is put in place.
Williams, who sits on Governor Beverly Perdue's N.C.
educational cabinet, took part in discussions with senior
staff about how to proceed in the face of state funding cuts
and funding program changes.
"We discussed how Guilford College ended up with one
of the highest percentage cuts in the state, and what kinds
of changes in the regulations in the next biennium might
"The lack of state-based funding will mean the
college will seek more out-of-state students in
the coming years."
Randy Doss, vice president for Enrollment Services
benefit Guilford College students," said President and
Professor of Political Science Kent Chabotar.
Attorney Carole Bruce, chair of the Board of Trustees
Finance Committee, told The Guilfordian that the Board
of Trustees is aware of changes in the N.C. financial aid
program.
The Finance Committee makes recommendations to
the Board of Trustees on tuition and student fee changes,
endowment use and total revenues and expenses based
on assumptions in the budget document that is currently
being prepared by the campus budget committee and the
administration.
"Even though the college is facing extraordinary
circumstances with a major change to the North Carolina
financial aid program, I expect that the budget process will
be followed by the college and the Board of Trustees," said
Bruce.
Professor of English Jim Hood told The Guilfordian that
the particular budget cuts are still unclear.
"I can say that any cuts will be difficult because Guilford
doesn't have budget fat; there are no easy things to cut that
won't affect, at least in some way, program delivery," said
Hood.
Hood said that since the cuts are state-based, Guilford
could choose simply not to replace any of that aid, in which
case some students could not afford to attend Guilford.
"In order to replace some of that aid, Guilford will have
to cut spending somewhere else: for salaries, benefits
and/or operating budgets," said Hood. "When it comes
down to a choice between financial aid, courses taught or
educational services provided, it's very difficult to decide
what's best."
There are many variables that college officials will have
to decipher before the fiscal year begins on July 1.
Drawing from Williams's visit, Chabotar said that the
NCICU and independent colleges are advocating that when
financial aid dollars are restored, independent institutions
get the same percentage increase as the UNC system, since
we received the same decrease.
In any event, Chabotar said that these inevitable changes
would ultimately burden students as a result of the state
cuts.
"The legislative 'merit' program is likely not to return
under any circumstance and non-traditional students
with 'low cost' tuition are likely to be treated differently
under any revised policy," said Chabotar. "The state's new
formula for calculating need-based aid assumes that the
federal government will make up the loss of state aid to
the neediest students, of which Guilford College has a high
proportion, so we lost state aid there too."
CONSTRUCTION
Ongoing library construction brings new student spaces
(Top) The beginning stages of the remodeling of Hege
Library. (Bottom left) Supplies for the renovations line the
walls of the first floor of the library. (Bottom right) A future
desk sits on the floor near the temporary help desk
Continued from Page I
Dunn said that the current renovations and additions
are about "how the library can serve current and future
needs."
"The library design is a 1980s plan
geared for a very print-oriented library,"
said Dunn. "We know today that's not
the nature of our collections or how
students work. It's about how we can
adapt."
The new workstations on the
library's main level will be glass-
paneled, allowing for visibility to the
rest of the library while preventing
group work from disturbing other
visitors. The new work spaces are
about offering a specific location
for collaborative work apart
from the rest of the library.
"Instead of gathering
around in an open area where
it might disturb someone,
students could instead use
these stations," said Steve
Carraway of Burkhead
Carraway Construction,
the firm contracted by the
college to build the new
rooms.
"There's a need for
group and individual
study areas ... With the
current library design, it's kind of
all one big open space, and anyone doing
one of those types of study ends up disturbing the other,"
said Dunn.
"We're doing everything we can to turn (the library)
into a social space," said Parrigin. "Especially given the
writing-intensive nature of the college, students need a
space to exchange ideas and work corroboratively."
In the press release, Dunn said, "Student engagement
is a critical part of the college's strategic long-range plan,
and this space will go a long way in supporting this
goal."
Early college student Sulaimon Kassim can already
visualize his use of the new workstations.
"I could see myself going there, especially for group
presentations," said Kassim. "The available technology
would allow for better visuals and practice of group
presentations."
Kassim added that librarians have already begun
promoting the spaces to visitors when speaking about
library resources.
The funds needed for the technology that will be used
in these new spaces came from a Library Services and
Technology Act grant awarded to Hege Library this past
July. Funding for the construction, however, has come
specifically from Friends of the Library funds.
Parrigin and Dunn both speak highly and
optimistically of the project in the hopes of better serving
library visitors.
"We're really excited to have the opportunity to
improve our services and especially respond to what our
patrons are telling us are important to them," said Dunn.
Both Carraway and Dunn said that, according to
the current timeline, the spaces should be available
for student use by March 1. At least initially, the new
workstations will be open to students and groups on a
walk-in basis. ,