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Salaries cut, staff furloughed, retirement plans suspended, the establishment of a Sunsetting Task Force to identify 45 undergraduate programs to remove and THIS is how you choose to direct new funds. There are so many issues here. https://twitter.com/Ashland_Univ/status/1285991752768331782
1 - Initial budget deficit predicted: $1.6 million
Loss of revenue due to the virus: over $4.4 million
CARES Act funds for university: $1,993,858
CARES Act funds for students: $1,993,858
Workers furloughed: 100+
Workers taking a pay cut: approximately 400 https://bit.ly/3eMZ6Bf
Loss of revenue due to the virus: over $4.4 million
CARES Act funds for university: $1,993,858
CARES Act funds for students: $1,993,858
Workers furloughed: 100+
Workers taking a pay cut: approximately 400 https://bit.ly/3eMZ6Bf
2 - "The total project cost is estimated $9.98 million, which includes construction of the center and its support areas like offices and restrooms, as well as roughly $2.3 million in soft costs..." That is triple the loss in revenue due to the virus ($4.4 million).
3 - "Thanks to the generous gifts of three lead donors..." Lead donors? So instead of fundraising to support academic programs and students during the current pandemic, Ashland will fund raise for a sports complex.
4 - The cost to build the complex is not the only dollar figure at play here. "Over the expected lifetime of a building, an institution can expect to pay twice the initial cost of construction to maintain it." https://bit.ly/3fRFjlFCorrect
4 continued - That money has to come from somewhere. I'd wager an increase in tuition or student activity fees.
5 - Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the university still recovering from budget issues after they built the football stadium and rec center?
6 - Less than 20 colleges and universities make a profit from sports programs. Ashland isn't one of them. This project is creating another budget hole and the university has already run out of language programs to cut. What program or tenured faculty gets the axe next?
7 - Colleges have already been fighting for fewer students and President Campo already predicted an enrollment drop. A new sports complex will not solve this problem. I can't imagine very few people plan to attend a "liberal arts" college for the athletic department's prowess.
8 - This is just really bad PR. Colleges across the country were scrambling to hold off financial crisis BEFORE the virus hit. Probably not the best time to announce a multi-million dollar athletic project.
