Chabotar Hosts Campus-Wide Budget Hearings
Mary Layton Atkinson
Campus Life Correspondent
Open and participative: this is Presi
dent Kent Chabotar's goal for how to treat
the college's budgetary process.
"We are planning a community bud
get and seeking the involvement of the
members of the community in that pro
cess," Chabotar said at a campus-wide
budget meeting held in Bryan Junior Au
ditorium on Jan. 15. "It will be a truly bal
anced budget. Not one that is balanced
on the backs of one group or another."
Over 100 students, faculty, and staff
members attended the meeting updat
ing the budgetary process.
"I attended because I had heard they
were planning to raise tuition next year,"
sophomore Doug Watts said. "Many of my
questions regarding that issue were an
swered."
The budget committee did in fact
John Allred
Guest Writer
Editor's Note: The folbwing article was
published in the Dec.6 edition oflhe Guitfordian.
Because a power outage at our printer caused
that issue to be delayed, and as such distribu
tion around campus was not as extensive as
normal, we have elected to reprint it here.
For traditional students here at Guilford,
the term CCE can offer a mixed bag of mean
ings. Who are the CCE students? How many
attend Guilford? Why have they taken my park
ing space? Why don't they pay the same stu
dent activity fees? Why are classes designated
CCE only?
These are all common yet less-discussed
questions surrounding the CCE population on
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state that both tuition and room and
board charges will likely rise next fall. Pre
liminary figures offered by the commit
tee show an expected increase of 4.47%,
or SBOO in tuition and an increase of
2.77%, or S2O in room and board in the
coming school year.
Chabotar urged those present to trust
that the plans to increase tuition were
being fully divulged, unlike in years past.
"Did you see the tuition-increase plan
last year?" Chabotar said. "No. When we
know the timeline and the precise num
bers, you will. It's not a secret."
Despite Chabotar's promise of open
ness, some students felt that the meet
ing was merely a formality, rather than a
forum for community discussion.
"I don't really know why students were
invited," said Watts. "It didn't seem like
the opinions of those present really mat
tered."
Other students felt that the meeting
CCE SCA Corner
the Guilford campus. By comparison, CCE stu
dents often experience similar curiosity about
their traditional counterparts.
To remedy this perplexing and long-last
ing sense of uncertainty, the CCE Student Gov
ernment Association, or CCE/SGA, would like to
introduce the CCE Corner. With much-welcomed
support from The Guitfordian editorial staff and
Community Senate, we would like to begin our
journey of getting the word out about CCE. The
goal is not only to bridge the gap between tra
ditional and CCE students that has seemed to
broaden over time, but provide a platform for
exchange of information, ideas, and issues that
impact us all.
Are CCE students aware of the services
available to them at Guilford? Do they know
about the Career Development Center? Are CCE
was simply not what the attendees had
anticipated. It wasn't that student opin
ions didn't matter, but that the meeting
did not serve as a forum for discussion of
those opinions.
"I felt like people came expecting a dis
cussion or debate of the college's vision,
what programs we had to keep, and where
to take this progress," first-year Chris Wells
said. "Instead we got college finance 101,
which was helpful, sure, but not the meeting
we really needed to have as a community."
Chabotar expressed why he believed
the campus-wide meeting was in fact ben
eficial to the community in a written state
ment.
"I intend budgeting, and decision
making in general, to be as open as pos
sible so that members of the community
can appreciate the process even if they
might not agree with the results on occa
sion," Chabotar said.
"An all-campus meeting about the
students aware of CCE/SGA and who their rep
resentatives are? Does CCE have an interest in
the development of a co-op coffee shop man
aged by students? Are CCE students aware of
the Anti-Racism initiative here at Guilford?
Chances are, many CCE students have asked
these very questions and we would like to pro
vide some answers.
Additionally, traditional students may have
similar, and definitely equally important, issues
and concerns they would like to see addressed.
What about those CCE-only classes? What is
the CCE fee policy? What about CCE would we
like to know? Did CCE students take my parking
space? Getting the word out about CCE will pro
vide much needed discussion about these is
sues and a range of topics that can affect each
one of us. For that reason, we need both tradi
January 24, 2003
budget is one way to make an opaque
area such as college finances more trans
parent to everyone."
Mathematics Professor Elwood
Parker, the chair of the budget commit
tee, urged community members to seek
out additional avenues of expression to
compleiment campus-wide meetings in
order to make their opinions heard.
"Those who have input and wish it to
be heard should not only attend such
meetings, but should convey their con
cerns to members of the committee,"
Parker said. "All Guilford constituents (stu
dents, faculty, administration, and support
staff) are represented on the committee."
The committee members hope that
the inclusion of the opinions from all as
pects of the Guilford community will lead
not only to a budget that is sound, but
also "to better acceptance of the results
since mere has been opportunity for in
put," Parker said.
tional and CCE students alike to take part Youi
input is vital and necessary to our success.
Now comes the fun part - we need your
heip! With your questions, suggestions, is
sues, hot buttons or concerns, please e
mail The Guilfordian al
guilfordian@guilford.edu and place "CCE"
in the subject heading. In order to make
this a true open forum, it is imperative tc
have your feedback and recommendations
as to the material you would like to see cov
ered in the CCE Corner.
So, without further delay, I invite you
to take this opportunity and let's get the
word out about CCE. We have a tremen
dous opportunity to educate, illustrate,
debate, and most importantly,, commu
nicate!
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