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SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
Monday, October 6, 2014
ON CAMPUS
Volume 99 Issue 13
SGA, Faculty Senates address budget issues Lindsey Kelley Printz Reporter
With pressures growing high on all sides of the budget cut debates, many different legislative bodies across campus are discussing and asking questions about what the university is to face in the near future. The Student Government Association Senate met Thursday to discuss a new piece of legislation that would encourage University President Rodney Bennett to continue his transparency in the upcoming budget changes. SGA Brittny Roberts/Printz Vice President Kyle Stoner said Kyle Stoner, SGA vice president and president of the Senate, led the meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss the set the purpose of this legislation was agenda. Every Thursday at 5:15 p.m., SGA holds a meeting at the Thad Cochran Room 216 and is open to the public. not to bind the president to a new Provost Denis Wiesenburg and policy, but more to thank him for Douglas Vinzant. Many faculty senators were his openness and honesty with This special session will be an Vinzant discussing the details curious as to why the reserves were the student body. open forum for the student body of the budget changes and how so low and are only now being A line from the legislation reads, to come and ask any questions this would specifically impact addressed. Sen. Lou Rackoff, “It is the recommendation of the about the university budget, departments and faculty. representative of the College of In this meeting, Vinzant Arts and Letters, said, “There’s Senate branch of the Student such as how these cuts will affect Government Association that the students, which specific programs discussed the need to not only no context for how (we got) here. school administration remain may be affected and other issues cut expenditures due to lower There’s a real question out (there). vigilant and be transparent that the students may wish revenue, but to also save money How did this happen?” for the university reserves, which regarding future budget cuts to the to address. Wiesenburg said the situation students and show appreciation “If more sessions are needed, carry only $400,000. With the had been neglected, considering for the communication and (officials) have expressed new budget plan, the university the power change occurring transparency they have a willingness to hold those would add another $1.7 million in administration in the past to the reserve. already shown.” years. “This is really a three-year meetings,” George said. “The purpose of reserves is problem we’re dealing with only Jeffrey George, SGA president, The legislation discussing was in attendance at Thursday’s transparency passed unanimously dealing with things like retention now,” he said. meeting and briefly discussed how and will be sent to President offers for people that we need to Wiesenburg continued to keep,” Vinzant said. “Maybe the explain that even though numbers administration has plans to open Bennett for approval. up the process to the students The Faculty Senate, a salary line is different than was have been slowly declining since and listen to their ideas. He said legislative body made of faculty budgeted. You’ve got to have a two years ago when Aubrey Lucas a session will take place Oct. 23 from every college and many place to go. If you don’t have (a was interim president, he was not at 5 p.m. with Vice President departments, met Friday to reserve) there, then you can’t in a situation to address the lack of Finance and Administration listen to a presentation by make those kinds of decisions.” of reserves. Vinzant and Bennett
were appointed in 2013, allowing them a year to adjust and now a year to act. “For two years, we didn’t address (the problem),” Wiesenburg said. “We tried to grow out the problem using enrollment and retention initiatives. It wasn’t a surprise that the numbers were down. We knew the numbers were down last year and the year before. Now we’re at a point where we don’t have the reserves to deal with it.” After the presentation, the faculty presented a resolution that was quickly passed with majority approval, with only one opposed and one abstention. The resolution detailed the faculty’s role in the budget cuts as well as discouraged cutting funds inside of academics, preferring them to be cut elsewhere. It also addressed the issue of growing programs and requested that programs that maintained or grew enrollment carry less or none of the burden of reduced enrollment. Sen. Lachel Story addressed the Faculty Senate with her report, encouraging the faculty to respond responsibly. “The university, particularly the faculty body, has always pulled together, done what is necessary and gotten us through whatever we are facing. ” For upcoming budget information, refer to the USM Mailout for more details on the special budget session as well as potential future messages from the administration.
NATIONAL
California passes ‘yes means yes’ law identify the man because she knew him personally. Printz Reporter Rape is the most common violent crime on college In October 2013, The campuses, according to University of Southern Cleveland Rape Crisis. Mississippi Police Department In fact, sexual assault is so investigated an alleged sexual prevalent on college campuses, assault at the Kappa Sigma it is reported that an event Fraternity house on campus. occurs once every 21 hours The victim, a then 18-year- across the U.S. old freshman, said she could About 1 in 4 college women
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WILL EXPERIENCE SEXUAL ASSAULT DURING HER ACADEMIC CAREER SOURCE: CLEVELAND RAPE CRISIS
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will experience sexual assault during her academic career and 3 percent of college men, with an estimated 55 to 75 percent of victims being under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the event. Tristan Hayes, 23, who has worked at various liquor stores in Hattiesburg, can remember numerous occasions when college-aged
OPINION USM budget Everything one needs to know about the budget cut.
men would often frequent while planning for parties. “Everclear, Arisocrat, Taaka... high-proof stuff for mixing with juices, almost always clear spirits,” Hayes said. “They would sometimes mention things like ‘yeah, we got (women) coming over; we have to get them (wasted).”
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