The Miami Student Oldest university newspaper in the United States, established 1826
VOLUME 138 NO. 45
Friday, March 18, 2011
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD, OHIO
In 1961, The Miami Student reported the Board of Trustees had approved a $12.50 fee increase for in-state students and $25 fee increase for out-of-state students to take effect in Sept. 1962. With the increase, fees and room and board costs amounted to $1,125 a year for in-state students and $1,475 a year for out-of-state students.
Kasich proposes $9.7 million cut for MU By Sam Kay Editor in Chief
Governor John Kasich unveiled his budget proposal Tuesday, including a 14.5 percent cut to the funding Miami University receives from the state of Ohio in fiscal year 2011-12. The cut, not yet approved by the Ohio General Assembly, represents about 3 percent of Miami’s overall budget, or $9.7 million, according to David Creamer, Miami’s vice president for finance and business services. This is the kind of cut Miami had been expecting and planning for through the Strategic Priorities Taskforce (SPT), Creamer said. “When we did the planning, we said ‘use 15 percent,’ and it’s 14.5,” Creamer said. “That’s a big part of
what the SPT identified, decreasing state support, that over time there would be more financial issues for us to address.” This is the largest cut in state funding Miami has faced since the early 1990s, according to Creamer. At that time, Miami made up the budget gap primarily by raising tuition, but that is unlikely to happen this time around, Creamer said. Kasich’s proposal caps any in-state tuition increase at 3.5 percent and Creamer said Miami students might see a smaller increase. Creamer said SPT’s recommendations, which the university recently hired consulting firm Accenture to implement, will make it possible to weather the budget shortfall without a drastic tuition increase. The tuition increase “will likely
be somewhere between 2.5-3.5 perMiami director of institutional cent,” Creamer said. “What we’ve relations Randi Thomas said he been in for the last few years is a understands the need for a cut at slower rate of (tusome level. ition) increase, “Pretty much “Everyone, not just and we want to everyone took higher education, is cuts,” Thomas continue that.” Creamer said sharing the sacrifice ... said. “Everyone, it is possible the that’s not easy to take, not just higher education, is General Assembut we understand the sharing the sacribly will increase circumstances the the cut in the next fice … that’s not few months. easy to take, but state is in.” “The odds of we understand it getting smaller the circumstances Randi Thomas are not very good. DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS the state is in and The odds of it inwe understand creasing are a little the shared sacribit greater, and that’s because a lot of fice has to go on.” difficult decisions were made in the Student Body Vice President governor’s budget,” Creamer said. Tim Hogan, whose duties include
lobbying for state funding in consultation with other state universities, said it is important for Miami to adjust to the cuts without significant negative impacts on the student experience. “When money doesn’t come in, we have to completely reevaluate what we need and how we function as a university,” Hogan said. “We should put budget cuts where they affect students least.” The governor’s office did not provide comment on specifics of the cuts, but Kasich spokesperson Connie Wehrkamp said the governor is concerned about Ohio’s brain drain. “If we want Ohio to be an economic leader, we have to retain our best-educated by providing good job opportunities,” Wehrkamp said via e-mail.
FSB ranks in ‘Businessweek’ Senior gift campaign launches top 25 business schools competition with Ohio University By Garrett Smith For The Miami Student
Bloomberg Businessweek released their 2011 Undergraduate Business School rankings March 3 and Miami University’s Farmer School of Business (FSB) landed in the top 25 for the fourth consecutive year with a ranking of 22nd. Since ranking 35th in 2007, FSB has finished in the top 25 each year with fluctuating rankings of 24th in 2008, 18th in 2009 and 16th in 2010. “I wouldn’t necessarily say [Miami] dropped off,” said Farmer School of Business Assistant Dean, Ted Pickerill. “In any ranking system like this there’s some volatility between 16 and 22. Although Businessweek does not share the specific score of every category or final cumulative point total, I don’t believe one will find a very significant difference between 16 and 22. We’re proud that we moved into and are now consistently in the top 25.” First-year honors business student Ryan McHenry, who considered attending other highly ranked schools such as the University of Washington and Georgetown University, said undergraduate rankings like the Businessweek ranking impacted his college selection. “It factored into my decision and I’m sure it’s factored into many other peoples’ decisions,” McHenry said. “I think it will continue to attract more talent than what it would if it wasn’t ranked as high.”
According to an explanatory piece on the rankings written by Louis Lavelle, Bloomberg Businessweek uses a plethora of data to establish their rankings including a survey of senior business students, with a weighting system that compiles surveys from this year and two previous years as well. Corporate recruiters are also polled and universities are asked for data such as average ACT/SAT scores, faculty to student ratio, and the median starting salary of graduates. “I like the Businessweek ratings because most of the metrics that they use are consistent with the things that we’re trying to do,” FSB Senior Associate Dean Tim Krehbiel said. “We’re trying to attract good students that study a lot, get internships, are in small classes with good faculty to student ratios and get good starting salaries. A lot of the metrics of Businessweek align with the initiatives that the Farmer School are interested in.” Miami ranked 7th among public schools, down one slot from 6th place in 2010, giving ground to Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. FSB was also ranked highest among all Ohio schools, with Case Western Reserve University’s 40th ranking standing as the only other Ohio school in the top 50. “I’m proud that my school is nationally recognized as one of the top in what it does,” McHenry said. “With it fluctuating so much, I don’t place much value in that it dropped from 16 to 22.”
ASG to host ‘Meet the Candidate Nights’ By Clare Kiernan For The Miami Student
With student body elections just around the corner, Miami University’s Associated Student Government (ASG) is going to great lengths to increase student involvement. In an effort to reach the most frequently underrepresented segment of campus, ASG is turning their attention to underclassmen. Teaming up with the Residence Hall Association (RHA), ASG is planning “meet the candidate” events in campus quads to give students a better idea of who they will be voting for in the upcoming March 24 primary elections and March 31 general elections. According to ASG Secretary for Public Relations, David Hall, the candidates are eager to speak to residents, explain their campaign platforms, and listen to the concerns of fellow students. “We are adding these ‘meet the candidate nights’ to involve more of the student body in the elections process
in the hopes of electing candidates who have a broad appeal and are aware of more Miami University issues,” Hall said. First-year students and sophomores are some of the most important voters, said Heath Ingram, student body president. Although the current electorate is making decisions, the underclassmen will be the ones feeling the results long after present student leaders have graduated, Ingram said. Tim Hogan, student body vice president, agrees. “If they (students) are engaged with what ASG is doing as underclassmen, they will be more aware of how to utilize it as a student voice throughout the remainder of their college career,” Hogan said. Although underclassmen participation is vital, one issue ASG faces is the struggle to efficiently communicate with this sector of the student population, said Hall.
wSee ASG, page 3
SAMANTHA LUDINGTON The Miami Student
Seniors Emily Wehmeier and Ryan Amos donate to the senior class gift Thursday at GradFest.
By Lauren Ceronie Campus Editor
With graduation just around the corner, many seniors are preoccupied with finding jobs, internships and grad schools. In this hectic time, the Office of Annual Giving and the Senior Class Gift Campaign ask seniors to keep Miami University in mind by giving to the senior class gift. This year, the senior class gift campaign is asking seniors to donate $20.11 to the fund to commemorate their year of graduation, according to Beth Ann Gaier, senior class gift chair. The donations will go toward the Armstrong Student Center, although students can ask for their donation to go elsewhere in the university, Gaier said. “The donations are going to the Armstrong Student Center so future students will have the same great experience as students so far,” Gaier said. Donations from students can also go toward the senior class scholarship or any department within the university, according to Gaier. For the first time, Miami is competing with Ohio University to see which school can raise the most money and have the most
participation in the senior class students that will last even after gift, according to Gaier. Miami graduation, Bixel said. Donaand Ohio University set up the tions given to the Office of Ancompetition to encourage stu- nual Giving are used to support dents to participate in the gift, the daily needs of the university, Gaier said. such as scholarships and Seniors are not required to dotechnological upgrades. nate the $20.11, “The idea is but can donate to give back to as much or as Miami,” Bixel little as they “The donations are said. “Miami want, Gaier said. going to the (ASC) University has However, stuso future students given you a dents who give education will have the same great $200 or more so it’s about givwill have their great experience as ing back to the students so far.” name placed in school you love the Armstrong and about giving Student Cenback to future BETH ANN GAIER SENIOR CLASS GIFT CHAIR ter, according Miamians.” to Gaier. The Senior Stephsenior class gift anie Walters said campaign does not have a spe- she plans to donate to the senior cific monetary goal, but aims to class gift and have the money go get seniors to participate and give toward the Armstrong Student back, Gaier said. Center. A new student center “We just want to encourage would be beneficial to students at and inform students about how Miami and to attract students to beneficial this gift is to the uni- Miami, Walters said. versity,” Gaier said. “I love Shriver but it’s not very Andrew Bixel, assistant direc- current, people go to Farmer tor of the office of annual giving, or King to do things instead,” agreed that giving back to Miami Walters said. is imperative to the school. The Seniors can donate to the seOffice of Annual Giving works nior class gift at the campaign with the Senior Class Gift Cam- website, www.muohio.edu/sepaign to build a relationship with niorclassgift.