The Hawk
Shattering silence The conversations we need to have about sexual harassment on and off campus Special section pg. A1-A8
Saint Joseph’s University
12.4.13
Volume XCI
Est. 1929
LOSS OF
Trips with a cost
High study tour prices lead to cancellations Katryna Perera ’16 Hawk Staff
A
lthough study tours are a great resource for students who are looking to study while seeing the world, some Saint Joseph’s University students are unable to afford these programs. The decision of whether or not to study abroad is one that many St. Joe’s students consider when planning out their four years. For many, the option of spending a semester or year abroad is not feasible. Instead, many opt to participate in university study tours, which are programs that combine a class taught on campus with time abroad. Four different classes that will end in tours to Spain, Bermuda, Cuba, and Singapore will be taking place during the spring 2014 semester, as well as two graduate tours to Brazil and India. Students participating in a study tour take a class throughout the semester and then conclude it by spending a week or two abroad. Activities done abroad directly coincide with what students learned throughout the semester, and the time spent abroad is meant to bring to life lessons taught in the classroom. There were originally seven undergraduate study tours planned for the spring semester, including trips to Australia and Italy, but they were subsequently cancelled as not enough students submitted applications.
Faculty formulates plans regarding university budget shortfall Cat Coyle ’16 News Editor
According to study tour coordinator Lindsey Martin, a minimum of 12 students must submit applications in order to prevent a tour from being cancelled. This bare minimum level is set in relation to the budget of the trip, she explained, as it must be assured that all costs will be covered. When asked why she believes the trips were cancelled, Martin replied, “It’s probably a combination of cost and interest.” She went on to add that dates of departure also tend to be a conflict for many students, as most trips take place at the end of the semester in May and many students have summer jobs and obligations already in place. A study tour to Cuba next spring is being led by Richard Gioioso, Ph.D., which will supplement a class called Contemporary Cuban Politics and Society. While abroad, students will visit historical and cultural sites in the provinces of Havana, Matanzas, and Varadero. There was a great interest expressed in the Cuba tour and an availability of 18 spots, yet only 12 students ended up registering. “I believe that for some students the cost of the study tour was prohibitive,” said Gioioso. “The trip conflicted with other activities and obligations they have immediately following the end of the semester and into the summer.”
As the Saint Joseph’s University community reworks department and program budgets to accommodate for shortfall recovery, some faculty members have begun conversing on the causes of the problem. In the beginning of the year, the university was scheduled to have between a $6 to $7 million surplus. In recent weeks, the university has discovered several budgeting problem areas that amount to an $8.7 million shortfall from the original projected budget. The shortfall is the result of a combination of a number of budget strains, including 74 less full-time students enrolled from the projected amount for the fall 2013 semester and over-projections of the amount of financial aid given in relation to tuition revenue. If the university does not recover the $8.7 million shortfall, St. Joe’s will face a possible $1.7 million budget deficit at the end of the fiscal year. To ensure that this does not occur, a mandated 4.2 percent decrease in expenses is being implemented across the board. Department chairs and program directors were mandated to fill out budgeting worksheets by Dec. 2. A team of senior administrators, including the provost, will spend the week reviewing the
Continued STUDY TOUR, Pg. 3
suggested budget cut plans and come up with final budget recommendations by Dec. 6. Another budgeting issue has been found in the process of donor gifts. According to Joseph Lunardi, associate vice president of marketing and communications, counting specific donor gifts into the annual budget at the beginning of the fiscal year caused 20 to 25 percent of the overall shortfall. Although none of this money was used against its intended purposes, the university’s budget was based upon the availability of these funds. When it was discovered that they were not to be applied to the general university fund, and instead were to be used for specific departments or projects, part of the shortfall was discovered. With an increase of university communications to faculty members throughout the last week came confusion on the setup of the donor gift system. “I think that the administration is going to have to say more and give more information,” said Agnes Rash, Ph.D., professor of math. “What they’re doing is not sufficient to make faculty and others happy.” Vincent McCarthy, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, spoke on the discrepancy between the current political problems Continued SHORTFALL, Pg. 4