Technician
proposed budget provides Less money for UNC system schools
CUTTING FUNDING billion
needed in 2011-12 to continue current level of services in UNC system
T
$2.43 billion
-15.5%
Budget proposed by gop house budget writers
proposed reduction of funding for services
Story By John Wall | infographic By Taylor Cashdan
The House Republicans released their proposed budget, which included a proposed 15.5 percent budget cut to the UNC system, a cut that could result in the loss of 10,000 class sections across the system, according to legislators. Though realignment cuts have already knocked out several University services and administrative positions, more cuts are imminent. The proposed budget reduction is equivalent to cutting five campuses entirely from the 17-campus UNC system, according to Rep. Rick Glazier (D). The proposed budget has been approved by the North Carolina House of Representatives, but must now go through the state Senate. The proposal must go back through the House before being presented to Gov. Bev Perdue for final approval. “This is going to dramatically affect every student’s educational opportunity,” Glazier said. Chandler Thompson, who was sworn in as Student Body President this week, said she will do her best to make sure class sections and the academic integrity of the University will be protected. “We have the proposed budget, and we want to create an opportunity to get as many students involved as possible,” Thompson said. Thompson outlined her priorities when considering impending budget cuts. She said shielding the University’s capability to provide financial aid, because 60 percent of N.C. State students receive some form of financial aid. “Protecting financial aid is the biggest thing we need to communicate to legislators,”
april
14 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
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thursday
“This is going to dramatically affect every student’s educational opportunity.” Democratic Rep. Rick Glazier
Thompson said. Thompson is currently working on a letter to all students that will explain the budget situation. The letter will be delivered via email, but the delivery date is unknown, according to Thompson. Dean Jayne Fleener of the College of Education the possible cuts would affect all colleges and graduation. “All these changes may delay some students’ graduation,” Fleener said. Glazier agreed the cuts could prevent many students from graduating on time or also taking desired electives. There would also be majors eliminated within colleges, a decrease in academic quality and decreased studentprofessor interaction. The cuts would also diminish the University’s ability to conduct research, Glazier said. Rep. Jennifer Weiss (D) said the cuts would present a loss of 240,000 class seats to the UNC system. When asked about how the cut would impact N.C. State in particular, she said she was “very concerned,” and legislators should take a “more balanced approach” to the state budget. Weiss represents District 35, N.C. State’s geographic jurisdiction.
The proposed 15.5 percent cut would remove $1.25 billion from K-12 public schools, community colleges and higher education, according to Weiss. Weiss said the state government is making a mistake by considering such deep education cuts. Weiss agreed with Thompson’s assertion that students should be informed about the state legislature’s actions and decisions. “Students need to get in touch with legislators throughout the state,” Weiss said. State Sen. Josh Stein (D) said Chancellor Randy Woodson has been in communication with the legislature. In fact, Stein had the opportunity to meet with Woodson two weeks ago. During the meeting, Woodson argued that cuts as deep as 15.5 percent would harm the University’s ability to protect academic integrity. Woodson has preached his goal of protecting academic integrity since he first introduced the University realignment plan. Woodson said the cut would have a “dramatic effect on the delivery of education,” according to Stein. Stein agreed with Woodson and Weiss, saying he was “extremely concerned” about the quality of education in the UNC system. The proposed budget will hurt undergraduate and graduate students alike, Fleener said. “There may be less support for graduate students, we may need larger classes, and courses offered to non-education majors might be affected,” Fleener said. Staff writer Justin Rose contributed to this article.
Panel weighs both sides of education debate Film sparks discussion on how to best educate public school students. Justin Rose Staff Writer
Experts representing different sides of the education community discussed the current state of education in an open forum that took place in Witherspoon Campus Cinema Wednesday. The panel, led by College of Education Dean Jayne Fleener, examined a multitude of problems facing education in North Carolina, including funding, teacher salaries and the state of charter schools. The discussion was in context of the recently released Waiting for Superman, a documentary that follows the stories of five young students in an attempt to dissect the public education system and its problems. While the film provided a foundation for the discussion, a couple of the panelists said viewers should be aware of its agenda. The panel included Michael Maher, director of Professional Education, who described the film as “slick and emotional.” Maher also said it is very important for students to be critical consumers. “Believe in innovation and believe in creativity, because those are important,” said Maher. “Don’t Sarah Tudor/Technician form an opinion after hearing one side of the story.” Elizabeth Knight, a junior in math education, asks a question to the panel about tracking in schools Tony Habit, president of the New Schools Project Wednesday. Knight wishes to be a high school math teacher. “I am going to be a teacher, and I have a in NC, said the film, while having good messages lot invested in the North Carolina public school system as a Teaching Fellow,” Knight said. and challenging ideas, contained symbols that are “People are exploring alternatives to traditional mographics between charter schools and public disconnected from reality. “The reality of working on the ground with teach- schools disconcerting. They don’t look or perform education, but the system as a whole is potentially taking a step backwards if education is not priers and principals is dissimilar from some of what the same.” According to Maher, the two biggest problems oritized,” Fleener said. is portrayed in the movie,” said Habit. Ebonee Taylor, a sophomore majoring in mathare underfunding and the Jo Ann Morris, Presicurrent testing philosophy ematics education, said she was eager to be part dent and Executive Di- but he said that the ulti- of the solution. rector of the N.C. Pub“I want to teach in North Carolina, and I think mate root of the problem lic School Forum, said it’s so important for education majors to be inlies in poverty. schools need to have “We’re asking teach- formed if they want to be able to change what’s competent teachers, a Michael Maher, director of Professional Education ers to do more with less going on,” Taylor said. competent principal and Maher said despite the complex problems facmoney, and tests currently the resources to provide learning opportunities for the 21st century, where lead kids to underperformance,” said Maher. “Until ing education, the best thing college students can we address the economic and educational disparity, to is be engaged in any way, such as volunteering technology and interaction are more prevalent. as a tutor or at a soup kitchen. Maher also commented on the apparent segrega- we won’t get the outcomes we hope for.” “Students need to open their eyes to the disFleener said it is important to hear what’s not tion and lack of funding for North Carolina schools. “In many cases, we’re creating two sets of schools: working from the multiple perspectives provided parity. In many cases it’s important to realize schools for white students, and schools for students by the panel when facing such systemic problems your privilege and ask, ‘What can I do with my advantage?’” of color,” Maher said. “I find the differences in de- as lack of funding.
Expert: Science must connect to public policy Ex-NSF head speaks on science’s importance to global issues. Shivalik Daga Staff Writer
During an appearance on campus Wednesday, a former director of the National Science Foundation spoke on the interconnection between science and policy—and how each could help in shaping and improving the other. “In light of the growing global interconnectivity, it is no longer the case that one institution or one nation can solve the challenges that we currently face,” Arden Bement, the director of the Global Policy Research Institute at Purdue University, said. In a speech during the second annual Robert F. Davis Distinguished Lecture, Bement spoke on the importance of scientific policy research in a shrinking world. “In today’s connected environment, it is increasingly necessary to have a wider perspective,” Bement said. He also emphasized the significance of social networking, citing recent events in the Middle East where Facebook and Twitter have helped play a role in social uprisings. With such increased interdependence comes an increasingly difficult set of challenges, often involving a range of issues and requiring a multifaceted approach to solve. Bement called these issues “globalchallenge theme areas” and divided them into seven broad categories of environment, economy, energy systems, agriculture, security, health and society, and leadership. “All of these have interdisciplinary interconnections that involve technical, economical and human factors. Those connections are sadly often not found in current interdisciplinary research,” Bement said. It is here, Bement said, universities can play a crucial role. Bement focused on the barriers to interdisciplinary work and identified three major issues that required an interdisciplinary approach: rising concerns about food shortages for both human and animal consumption; fuel production, urbanization and natural disruptive events; and issues of data growth and security. Regarding issues of food and fuel, Bement said with the current rate of growth in world population, food
Bement continued page 3
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“Students need to open their eyes to the disparity.”
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