The Clarion
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Volume 75, Issue 17 SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935 Feb. 12, 2010
President Van Horn addresses future of BC
Brevard College's President hosts open forum for faculty and
students to address BC's financial future
by Travis Wireback and John Climer
Editor in Chief and IVIanaging Editor
On Tuesday February 9, President
Drew Van Horn addressed an open forum
of students and faculty about the financial
situation of the college, along with other
issues pertinent to student life. Among
the financial talk, President Van Horn
addressed students’ questions relating to
In this issue...
NEWS:
Immersion Update 2
Cell Phones 3
BC Sports Roundup 3
OPINION:
Electricity 4
Campus Life Update 5
Reader Response 6
Valentine's Woes 6
SGA 6
MISCELLANEOUS:
SLS Word o' the week 7
Comic 7
Chef BoyarDave's Special Valentine's
Day "sumthin"' 7
ODDS AND ENDS:
American Hero 8
Your Horoscope 8
recent budget cuts, tuition increases, and
salary freezes for faculty and staff.
Van Horn began by addressing the
sources of our college’s income and
explaining that a college is like any other
business: in times of a recession, certain
measures must be taken to ensure the
financial longevity of the institution.
He also spoke about how the current
economic times have taken a particularly
harder toll on Transylvania County, resulting
in 10% unemployment, one of the highest
in the state of North Carohna.
Van Horn also reminded students that
we are not the only institution feeling the
economic squeeze, saying, “Colleges are
business, and no college in this country has
not had to make adjustments.”
In fact, many institutions are taking
even more drastic measures to ensure their
financial stability. For example. Harvard
University was forced to cut 110 jobs after
losing 32% of it’s endowment.
Similarly, Brevard College saw its
endowment fall from 24 million dollars to
17 milhon dollars, around a 29% decrease.
However, we as an institution, have
not yet been forced to lay-off such high
numbers of employees. In addition to this
substantial endowment decrease, finances
at the college were hampered by a decrease
in private gifts and grants, also due to the
economy.
The loss of income from these two
revenue streams, two of the college’s three
main revenue sources, were the cause
for our I million dollar deficit last year
President Van Horn went on to explain
how the operational costs of the college
are constantly rising, further contributing
to our budgeting issues.
This year, to help offset those issues,
faculty and staff did not take raises, even
though their current pay is below most
other liberal arts institutions in the area.
However, to alleviate some financial woes
amongst faculty and staff, raises in health
insurance premiums have been covered by
the college.
Students also posed questions regarding
tuition increases and where their money
is spent. Tuition increases were raised
in accordance with the aforementioned
raises in operational costs and to provide
more revenue to take some pressure off of
the revenue from endowment and private
gifts.
Tuition is the largest contributor to our
income, making up 63% of our annual
operational budget.
Continuing, Van Horn explained where
our tuition goes, stating that: 27% of our
tuition is given back to the students in the
form of financial aid and 32% of our tuition
goes towards our instruction. The other
main areas where our tuition goes is: student
services (16%), institutional support (11%),
maintenance (8%), auxiliary enterprises
(3%), and academic support (3%).
Other student questions related to
athletics, the possibility of Greek Life on
campus, sustainability and ways in which
students can help the current financial
situation.
Students concerned with the future of
their athletic program should not worry.
President Van horn said that there are
no plans to cut any athletic programs.
However, budgets may end up being
tightened in response to the financial
crisis.
This means athletic teams may have to
reduce their travel plans and have smaller
food budgets on trips, which may translate
into competing in fewer contests. Van Horn
see Van Horn, p. 2