Honestly, I was surprised to hear The Mirror's theme for this issue was budget cuts. Budget cuts are a depressing reality, and depressing realities never make readers laugh. Reports fluttered through our blitz inboxes describing financial plans, while flyers announcing vague financial discussions dappled Collis bulletin boards. These continual regurgitations of statistics and warnings that layoffs will happen and organizations will lose funding seemed relatively distant even when the administration announced their plan to cut $100 million from the budget over the next two years.
Understanding the magnitude of $100 million is difficult. The figure does not help students understand the effect this massive downsizing will have on the student body, the Dartmouth community and perhaps on your own experience at the College.
What students know so far:
When asked about their knowledge of Dartmouth's budget cuts, many students replied with a laugh, and an "uhhh..."
"I know that budgets were cut," Joseph Lim '12 said, referring to the 2009 round of budget cuts.
Even those who made the effort to stay informed, and to follow the administration's plans to reduce Dartmouth's spending were similarly unclear as to what budget cuts meant and how they related to students.
"I don't think anyone knows a ton right now," Lucy Pollard '10 said. "But I have listened to President Kim's presentations."
What everyone should know:
The Board of Trustees decide the budget every year with input from administrators, College committees and the College president.
While the budget is done annually, they keep long-term goals in mind.
The operating budget for fiscal year 2010 was supposed to be $700 million, including the professional schools, but plans to cut it by $72 million were announced in February 2009 after a sharp decline in the endowment.
The fastest growing expenses are for financial aid and for operating our campus buildings. The latter has been mainly due to the addition of new buildings, but also because of increases in the costs of heating oil and electricity.
Cuts are now necessary to shrink the gap between revenue and expenses.
What's at stake:
To those concerned folks who have done their Dartmouth budget research, they probably noticed the phrase repeated by Kim and the administration during the financial dialogues: "The Dartmouth Experience." Although non-specific and ill defined, this term is essential to these fiscal discussions, for it encompasses all aspects that make Dartmouth special to its students and unique when compared to its peer universities. Unfortunately for the administration and their financial restrictions, however, the Dartmouth Experience is different for everyone. Any attempt to save money will effect someone and cause disappointment in one realm or another.
Sometimes, however, the big changes overshadow the little changes that may define someone's Dartmouth Experience.
"Everything is on the table," Camilla Rothenberg '13 said. "But nothing they talked about would make me feel like I would have a totally different Dartmouth Experience than I stepped in expecting."
Cory Cunningham '10, Student Body Vice President did acknowledge the probability of some structural changes, however, such as the College no longer covering the bonfire, and instead shifting responsibility to the UFC. He also admitted that, once instated, these budget cuts would not slip by unnoticed.
"I think the biggest thing I'm concerned about, is as much as the Board of Trustees talks about preserving the Dartmouth Experience, you can't realistically cut $100 million without a severe impact on the day to day life of Dartmouth students," he said. "As much as we'd like to say we'd hope not to, it's an inevitability. The amazing Dartmouth Experience that I had as a '10 may not be the same as that of a '14 and that concerns me."
What cuts the administration has suggested so far:
At Tuesday's forum, "An update on Dartmouth's Strategic Budget Process: Student Budget Forum," the administration made suggestions to reduce spending. The two most dramatic proposals were changes to the academic calendar which means shortening summer term, orientation and ending Fall term before Thanksgiving and increasing the class size.
Even with the inevitability of displeasing someone, the administration hopes to minimize student discontent through negotiating with the student body and discussing financial option. For the most part, student response was positive and the administration seemed hungry for feedback and eager to reach some sort of truce with students.
"Everything that somebody suggests to cut, everyone's like, there's probably that one person who it's their whole life here,'" Brianna Wilkinson '10 said. "Like one of my friends suggested cutting The Remix. But what about that one kid who's always drinking smoothies?"
What students have emphasized keeping:
To everyone who likes the College, there is at least one thing that makes him or her and Dartmouth click, and it's usually not anything concerning the academic calendar. As important as it is to discuss shortening sophomore summer and orientation, discussing less-pronounced, yet more personal aspects of the College is equally noteworthy.
Sure, to some, that calling may be Remix smoothies. But to others, Dartmouth's student organizations provide them with a place they feel comfortable, maybe for the first time in their lives. Students have expressed fear that funding for these same organizations, however, could be one of the first casualties in this financial bloodbath.
"There's a threat to how diversity programs and gender programs are structured on campus, because it seems inefficient on the outside and seems like a logical place to start with cuts," Becca Boswell '10 said. "It's discouraging for students who use these resources and don't really know what would happen if they changed."
Boswell specifically mentioned her fear that the administration would discontinue monetary aid to the Center for Women and Gender, especially due to the space it provides to the SAPA program.
"Because [the Center] is so small, and private, and because a lot of things it covers are personal and private, the space itself is undervalued in a lot of ways," Boswell said. "But it's a space that is very neutral and where people with this particular problem can meet."
If the Center for Women and Gender could be in question, then it is important to explore the qualifications for what makes an "important" student organization, worthy of financial support from the administration? How does the administration put a price tag on someone's passion? Is attendance the only method to measure a group's value to the student body? Should majority interests outweigh those of the minority? To some, a sparsely attended student organization may be their "Dartmouth Experience," or even the reason they attended the College in the first place.
For instance, the College made a historical commitment to the education of Native Americans. Now, in light of possible financial cuts to the Native American affinity house, Native Americans at Dartmouth (NAD) said they feel threatened by the budget limitations.
"The most important part of the Native American house is that the entire community can use it as a space," President of NAD, Chelsey Luger '10 said. "But the funding of the ORL doesn't make a huge impact to the larger Native American community on campus, as opposed to the Native American funding by OPAL, which is a much bigger deal."
In that vein, Luger voiced concern for reduced OPAL funds.
"We are very worried about budget cuts in terms of negatively impacting our community," Luger said. "The College has a commitment to Native American students on campus ever since the founding. It's written in the charter. When we met with President Kim in the fall, he assured us that the College would maintain the commitment to the Native American community and we trust he will do so."
What students have suggested to cut:
As terrible as the thoughts of Dartmouth changing are, thoughts of Dartmouth's bankruptcy are even worse. All the complaints, protests and pleas still boil down to the same reality that students must prepare themselves for sacrifice and an adjustment period. Some already have and even suggest possible changes Dartmouth could make.
"Maybe [the College] could cut the art galleries we have in the Hop," Lim suggested. "I'm sure it costs money to have people go in there and put stuff up like that."
Decker recommended an end to pre-orientation activities.
"Pre-O was awful," Decker said. "There was never enough food to go around. It was a lot of false advertising for fun things."
Some students offered more subtle measures to decrease long-term payments, like electricity bills. Bernie Susskind '13 advocates removing the flat screen menus from Thayer Dining Hall.
"No one even looks at them they look at the menu when you walk in." Susskind said.
One hundred million dollars is an enormous sum an amount most can only fathom when thinking of the money-filled suitcases in movies. Knocking down the Foco plasmas and eliminating the awkward week of Pre-O may barely scratch the surface of Dartmouth's cumbersome financial situation. Read President Kim's budget update blitzes; go to the budget discussions in Collis. Students must prepare themselves to speak out and defend what makes their Dartmouth Experience, before the administration makes changes in all the wrong places.
