Aug. 29, 2012

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the butler

Arts, Etc.: Flowers are blooming all over campus. Meet Butler’s green thumbs. Page 8

VOL. 127 ISSUE 2 ESTABLISHED 1886 INDIANAPOLIS

COLLEGIAN

Sports: How does BU stack up academically in the A-10? Page 5

BUTLER UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2012 | WWW.THEBUTLERCOLLEGIAN.COM

Core budget gap filled

Multiple arrests, excise police, policy changes—are administrators trying to

CAP A DRINKING PROBLEM?

TARA MCELMURRY TMCELMUR@BUTLER.EDU NEWS EDITOR

Butler University’s core curriculum no longer faces a budget gap as the 2012-13 school year gets underway. The core curriculum faced a budget shortfall of $400,000 last April. “Funding for the core was never in jeopardy,” said Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety. “The core will always be funded.” Hunter said numbers in the spring were preliminary before the resources for the budget were allocated. The necessary funding for the core was found before beginning the new school year, said Bruce Arick, vice president of finance and administration. The gap was closed with $350,000 to $375,000 from the university’s contingency fund, Arick said. The contingency fund is a sum of money in the university’s budget that has not been committed to any specific program or area. “(The contingency fund) is money that we have if something happens that was unforeseen that we can dip into,” he said. Arick said he likes to start the year with at least $1 million in the contingency fund. The university was able to fund the core during the planning stages of the budget before the 2012-13 school year, Arick said. It was able to start the year with the million dollars still in the fund. Arick said these budget gaps are not unusual. “As we go through the year planning process, the information becomes more specific about enrollment and what colleges it will affect,” Arick said. Arick said when budget gaps arise, the deans and faculty are the first to become aware of it. If further attention is needed, those budget issues are taken to the provost and then to her advisory committee, which is made up of the deans. Finally, it is taken to the president’s cabinet for review and approval, if it is determined university-level funding is needed. Getting approval for the core curriculum funding is what Interim Provost Kathryn Morris did. “It’s my responsibility to advocate for resources to make sure we have what we need to deliver the core curriculum to our students,” Morris said. Figuring out what resources the core needs starts with looking at which faculty members are teaching which classes already. Then they look to see how many students will be coming in. Finally, best estimates are made about what additions the core needs, Morris said. Morris said most first-year students have at least one other core course in addition to their first-year seminars. “Things are going well,” Morris said. “We’ve got the resources to support the need.” As far as next year’s core resources, Arick said budget gaps appear annually but not always in the same spot. “It is certainly a possibility it could be in the core,” he said. The planning process for the 2013-14 budget will start in the spring.

Opinion: Students will get used to the undercover cops. Page 11

ATLANTIC 10

Conference switch costs uncertain Administrators hope to cut costs with a higher revenue. MARISSA JOHNSON MKJOHSON@BUTLER.EDU SPORTS EDITOR

Butler University will incur increased costs as a result of the move to the Atlantic 10 Conference. However, administrators say they expect to make up the cost with increased revenue. “We didn’t ignore the costs, but at the end of the day, those are immaterial,” said Bruce Arick, vice president of finance and administration. “The expectations down the road are that the (revenue) increase will be more than enough to offset any cost now.”

CHANGES IN POLICY However, it is uncertain whether these recommendations are being treated as changes to Butler’s alcohol policy. Johnson said that changes were being made to the policy while Stevens said the policy itself will be reviewed during this semester and has not yet been changed. Sarah Barnes Diaz, health education and outreach programs coordinator and co-chair of the task force, said that the confusion lies with the semantics of the phrase “changes to the policy.” “The recommendations are what we’re now enacting,” Diaz said. “So within that, there are some shifts in policy and some changes in the student handbook.”

TRAVEL EXPENSES ADD TO COST Butler’s athletics department spent almost $13.7 million for all 17 sports in 2010, according to documents from Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. That number is expected to increase this year due to additional costs in traveling to other A-10 schools. The university and athletics department would not release specific numbers regarding the budget. As a private university, it is not required to do so. Administrators also said they were hesitant to cite specific numbers with regard to the A-10 move because they would not know the exact figures until after the academic year. President Jim Danko said he is estimating an increase of approximately $700,000 in travel expenses alone. The actual figures are still uncertain, and Tom Crowley, associate athletic director for internal operations, said Butler is relying on estimations to determine the anticipated athletic budget. Crowley said administrators have looked at other Midwest schools, including Xavier, Saint Louis and Dayton, to estimate and compare modes of transportation, hotel costs and the average per diem required for food. “We looked at it from a bigpicture standpoint and decided (the conference change) was for the best,” Crowley said. “There is a cost increase, but it allows us to increase recruitment, sell more tickets and

see alcohol page 2

see a-10 page 5

COLIN LIKAS CLIKAS@BUTLER.EDU MANAGING EDITOR

With Indiana officials looking to crack down on underage and high-risk alcohol consumption on college campuses, the atmosphere of Butler University is changing. An alcohol task force, comprised of Butler students and faculty from numerous departments, was created during the 2011-12 academic year. CURBING ILLEGAL DRINKING ON BUTLER’S CAMPUS For the start of this academic year, the group has come up with multiple recommendations to help school administrators and the Butler University Police Department curb problem and illegal drinking. “I think (the task force) is the best type of approach because you’re getting multiple perspectives,” said Levester Johnson, vice president for student affairs. “But it’s most important to involve students because they can take direct ownership of this as well.” Irene Stevens, dean of student life and co-chair of the task force, said the recommendations made by the task force cover three areas of concern: alcohol education, enforcement of alcohol laws and sanctioning of those who break alcohol laws.

Butler backs Rocky Ripple MARAIS JACON-DUFFY MJACONDU@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

The signs all over read: Save Our Homes. We Are Indy. Don’t Cripple the Ripple. Rocky Ripple is battling the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ plan for a 4-foot-tall, 8,200-foot-long floodwall that would exclude the neighborhood from protection. New to the list of opposing parties are Butler University and the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association. Cosmetic concerns, concerns about the environment and restricted access along the White River Canal prompted the Butler community’s opposition. The floodwall will cut through Holcomb Gardens and require the clearing of some trees and

vegetation. “The university requests the Corps consider alternative options that would not impact historic Holcomb Gardens,” said Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety. Hunter officially declared the university’s opposition to the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan last week. “We are trying now to talk to the Corps about the value of the land and why it wouldn’t make sense (for the floodwall) to be built where it was proposed,” Hunter said. Holcomb Gardens is a common running route for some Butler students, including sophomore arts administration major Haley Baas. “I run through Holcomb Gardens every day,” Baas said. “It’s such a pretty area. But if they put up a see rocky ripple page 3

SPORTS 5 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 8 | OPINION 10 | VISIBLE BULLDOGS 12

John Barth, city-county councillor at-large, sits alongside Rocky Ripple residents after speaking about concerns about a proposed flood wall. Photo by Heather Iwinski


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