News From the Field: Recap

As we have all seen, this week and a half has been a dire time for Suny Oswego. Since the Initial report, we have witnessed a constant deterioration of the Universities structure, where each day it seemed things could not get worse, things continually did. Each problem, both social and economic, proposed just how deeply layered our community is, and how many things we have in our past taken for granted. Let us look back at some of the problems that arose and the area’s they intruded on.

Day One: Proposal of Oswego’s Closing-Catalyst

Day Two: Student Protest- People Realizing that No One Had Promised the College Environment to Last Forever.

Day Three: Cuts Continue for Campus Closing- Monetary Issues at the University

Day Four: Tensions Run High as Money Runs Low- People Realize What Luxuries and Extras They Have Been Given Here.

Day Five: Oswego Alumni Speak Out- Remembering that This University Doesn’t Only Exist Now, But Has a Long Respectable History.

Day Six: Mass Partying- Students Realize the Importance of Structure and Academia

Day Seven: Lack of University Police- People Appreciate the Order they Once Had.

Day Eight: Sports to Be Cut: School Spirit and Basic Ideas of Comradery Demolished.

Day Nine Part One: Dining Halls Run Short- Appreciate the Once Stable Area and Comforting of Campus Dining As this is Our Home.

Day Nine Part Two: Student Exodus- People Leave when What Made it a Home is Now Gone.

Day Ten: Teacher’s Expendable- The Final Straw. The Main Components of a College Environment are Disregarded

Only after you see how much you can lose, can you begin to appreciate how much you should try and hold onto things. This has been a sad time, but now it is a time for change.

-Brandon Niezgoda

Video: Impact on Local Businesses

This video is part of the ARG, but the interview is real.

News From the Field: Day Nine, Evening Edition

SUNY Oswego Experiences Mass Student Exodus

Hundreds of students left SUNY Oswego today just days after the announcement of the future foreclosure of the school due to under funding.

Last week the institution announced the closing of its doors permanently as of 2011. Within hours of the announcement, students began to protest, begging state governments and SUNY officials to find ways to keep the school open. However, their cries of help seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Two days later, SUNY Oswego announced a series of drastic cuts to programs and operating expenses. This included various educational programs, energy costs, and staffing. This morning it seems students had had enough when the administration announced the closure of all sports programs at the school. Just weeks before finals, students began to package up their things and move out of their dorms and away from their institution.

When asked about the decision to leave SUNY Oswego before classes had ended one student responded with “what do finals matter, I have already filed for a transfer to SUNY Albany. There is nothing here for me now.” Other students stated, “I will not stay in a place where they have taken everything but the light bulbs from us.” The majority of students have decided to take a transfer to another SUNY institution at a reduced price for next semester, adding to the feeling of why should we stay.

Currently, the only people left at the campus are seniors, who will be graduating in May regardless of cuts and closings, and the majority of juniors who say they might as well stick around since they have been here this long. When asked about what should have been done to prevent this situation, many of the students said they did not expect it and had no clue as to why it happened. Perhaps if students had been more involved they would have been able to save their campus.

Would you have seen this coming? How knowledgeable do you think you are when it comes to the financing of Higher Education in New York? Would you leave SUNY Oswego before finals if you knew it would be closing? What could have been done to prevent this?

-Garry W. Herbert Jr.

This is an Alternate Reality Game. This is NOT REAL. Please do not mistake this for any actual occurrences. For more information go to the About this ARG Tab.

Some (Real) Facts about Oswego’s Budget

The following information is factual (not part of the ARG), and was taken from this report.

• There is an increase in the number of students coming to Oswego from downstate and a decrease in the number of students coming from central New York. The amount of 18-year-old high school graduates in Central New York is projected to decline 12.9% through 2013, while Long Island and Mid-Hudson are projected to show a positive increase in the amount of 18-year-old high school graduates by 20% and 27.8% respectively, over the same time period.
• SUNY has faced $210 million in cuts since Spring 2008. As far as Oswego, in the 2007-2008 fiscal year there was $57.8 million in state funds based on the Budget Allocation Process.  This money is supplied in tax dollar support and tuition dollars that the college collects.  As of right now, approximately$34 million of the $57.8 million comes from student tuition, and the other $23 million is actually from state funds.
• In 2007-2008 Oswego faced additional cuts including a 2.9% state tax cut of $652,100, an energy reduction of  $522,700, a revenue interest reduction of $195,000 and an additional reduction of $188,700.  This brought the 2008-2009 new financial plan base down to $56,986,800.  On top of this, another state cut was imposed, resulting in a loss of $1.7 million to Oswego.  This left the college with a base budget of $55.2 million dollars.
• Each division was initially asked to cut costs by 4.3% and then cuts by division were adjusted to diminish Academic Affairs’ share of the cut by 10%.
• Of the $310 dollar increase in tuition, only 10% would actually stay on campus for the campus budget.  The other 90% would be transferred to Albany to the general fund, which may include road maintenance, construction and other various state projects.  If 100% of the tuition increase collected is kept on campus, it would generate $1.9 million dollars for the campus.  With only 10% allowed to stay on campus, that is only $190,000 in additional tuition revenue.  However, the college is stepping up efforts to voice opposition to this proposal, currently in front of the legislature.
• Additional cuts are likely to occur in 2009-2010. There might be possible additional tuition revenues at 20%, which would total $826,000.

Interview With Charles Spector

Charles Spector is Professor of Accounting & Chair, Accounting Finance & Law Dept. and President of the UUP chapter at SUNY Oswego [this is a real interview and not part of the ARG].

Do you know approximately how much has been cut from Oswego’s budget?

I don’t know that the college has received its budget yet. The president usually keeps everyone in the loop and will make a report to the faculty assembly next month.

What role does UUP play on campus and in the state system as a whole?

We advocate for the university system. We spend countless days talking to legislators in both houses, taking out advertisements advocating for the university system. One of the advertisements was shot on this campus last fall and has been aired throughout the state. Locally, we help to administer the contract between UUP and the state. If faculty or staff members have grievances we try to meet with the adminitstation and work things out. We also sponsor workshops on such topics as sexual harrassment and other work issues.

As a professor, what changes have you noticed since the budget crisis came to light?

Travel has been cut and many adjunct faculty have received notice that they may not be rehired next year. Searches for new faculty have been cut back and lines left open.

What changes do you foresee for the faculty at OSU? (in respect to job related changes, ie: going green because of lack of paper)

I’ll believe it when I see it. In about 1985 we had a brainstorming session and the computer was supposed to solve this paper problem. Unfortunately, someone invented the printer.

Do you see the campus moving toward more adjunct professors or fewer?

That depends on the economy. In the short run classes have to be taught. So, there will be a need for instructors. Probably the adjunct instructors who received notice of non-renewal will be back next year. If the budget stays bad for a few years, we’ll probably see more and more adjunct instructors in order to save money. This puts a strain on the full-time faculty because adjunct instructors don’t generally advise students and participate in the full scope of faculty duties. The use of more and more adjunct instructors also puts at risk accreditation of programs.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of adjuncts, from an administration or faculty point of view?

Adjunct instructors are cheap and provide expertise in areas that the regular faculty lack. A disadvantage other than the ones previously listed is that they are hard to control. I believe that the School of Education uses more than anyone else. It becomes an issue of monitoring them and making sure that they have the support and guidance that they need. When you have 100 or so adjunct instructors control and quality become very important issues.

Note: “United University Professions (UUP) is the union representing more than 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 State University of New York campuses, plus System Administration, Empire State College, and the New York State Theatre Institute. UUP is affiliated with New York State United Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.” (www.uupinfo.org)

Will SUNY be the next ASU?

What would it take to keep SUNY Oswego open? Perhaps we can look at the drastic measures Arizona State University had to take (for real, this is no Alternate Reality Game) when the state recently cut $88 million or 18% of the university’s budget:

• cap enrollment
• close about four dozen academic programs (students currently enrolled in programs that will be closed will be able to complete those programs within a reasonable amount of time)
• substantial faculty and staff layoffs
• consider closing two of its campuses
• consider another round of tuition increases

Watch this video:

Speaking of faculty layoffs, have any of your professors discussed the SUNY budget cuts with you?

News From the Field: Day Three

Cuts Continue for Closing Campus

Just days after announcing the closing of their doors in 2011, SUNY Oswego announced a host of cuts covering everything from heating costs to program needs. The schools administration says in order for the school to remain open through the end of the decade, cuts must be made.

Students will be feeling the big freeze of cuts for the first time in the fall. The school will be turning off the heat to classrooms and offices in order to save on energy and fuel costs. However, over the summer when most students are out of town for break, the school says it will be selling off most lab and scientific equipment in an attempt to cut operating and in some cases energy use. This will include all science labs in Snygg and Piez and will include all broadcasting equipment and computers in Lanigan and the Campus Center. The schools administration says it is very costly to run WTOP and WNYO on campus and can no longer afford to bear those burdens.

In a final ditch effort to save money, SUNY Oswego announced computer labs across campus will be shut down and computers put up for sale to local public schools. This will include the very powerful Macintosh G5 computers in Lanigan’s video editing lab which were purchased earlier this year. It seems in hindsight Oswego should have re-evaluated its spending efforts and considered tougher times could be on the way.

The attempts to save money will ultimately result in increased student spending in several different areas. An initial reaction from students is pure shock and disdain for their current administration and the institution. Some students feel that the school should have supported students in their attempts to direct tuition dollars into SUNY’s fund rather than being steam rolled into the state’s general fund. With increases in tuition it may or may not have made the difference.

-Garry W. Herbert Jr.

Be advised that this is part of an Alternate Reality Game developed as a class project.

SUNY Oswego Announces Campus Closing

(This information is not true. It is part of the Alternate Reality Game.)

Earlier today, SUNY Oswego announced that due to budget shortages the school would close its doors after the class of 2011 graduates.

The school says the closure of the campus is not a reflection of its performance, but a result of very difficult economic times. Although SUNY made it through the state budget process almost unscathed this year, it is expected that next year will not be so kind. SUNY says that increases in state funding will not come fast enough, and raising tuition again is out of the question.

In order to prepare for unavoidable budget cuts in the future, SUNY’s Board of Trustees has decided to close several of its campuses, starting with SUNY Oswego. The college has announced that all students who have filed for graduation before the deadline will be receiving diplomas, including all graduate students. It went on to say that students expecting to graduate after 2011 will have the option to transfer to another SUNY school at a reduced tuition cost. Students have been told that they will be granted admission at other SUNY institutions as long as their overall GPA is 2.5 or higher.

SUNY Oswego, known for several famous alumni such as Al Roker and Steve Levy, said even private donations could not fund the school for more than a year or so, and several programs would have to be cut. The institution believes it would be better shutting their doors earlier so students can begin the transfer process. Student Affairs says transcript fees will be eliminated; and staffing will be increased in order to deal with the rush of students looking to find another educational home.

SUNY Oswego was founded in 1861 and is one of the oldest campuses in the SUNY system.

Have you had a SUNY Oswego service cancelled for the semester?

UPDATE: We have noticed that in some cases, the “vote” button is not showing up. While this problem seems to be a rarity, we are looking to take care of it accordingly. Since it may not be resolved right away, we want to make it known that if you are experiencing this problem, the vote button is located towards the bottom of Africa. While the button may not show up for you, it is there. So if you click in that proximity, your vote will register.