University not handling budget reductions properly

An article in the Oct. 2 Technician quotes senior officials in the Provost’s Office on strategies for dealing with a reduction in state funding. We all agree on the need for wise decisions.

For this to happen, however, we must have administrators who are accomplished in their own scholarship, appreciate fundamental principles of higher education, comprehend the practices at top tier universities and truthfully represent the issues – to the university community, to the legislature and to the public.

The handling of three contemporary issues does not inspire confidence:

1) The administration periodically requests funding from the state legislature arguing that additional teaching support is needed to accommodate enrollment growth, yet over the past decade the number of tenure track faculty who teach at the university has remained the same or declined in critical areas while the number of administrators has significantly increased – no, it is not just a question of reclassification of positions.

2) The University has publicly announced the completion of a billion dollar fund raising campaign, yet only trivial funding will go to support teaching, How much? Well, per department, perhaps the monetary equivalent of few golf balls.

3) The University is requesting an increase in student fees, yet students are asked to pay additionally for the use of WebAssign and other educational systems. Articles in the Technician have correctly questioned whether this is appropriate. WebAssign was developed at the university using state funds and student fees, and its use by students was initially covered by the already collected student fee.

In summary, the principal problems at N.C. State are internal, and only if they are fixed will students and the University as a whole realize their considerable potential,

Jerry L. Whittenprofessor, chemistry