TECHNICIAN
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Raleigh, North Carolina
University unveils Budget Central Web site to serve students, faculty and budget managers Samuel T.O. Branch Deputy News Editor
DREIER CARR/TECHNICIAN
Loren Moles, a sophomore in biological sciences, Graham Groseclose, a freshman in sports management, and Amanda Wujcik, a junior in sports management, cheer on the Wolfpack Women during the Hoops 4 Hope game vs. Virginia at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 15. The Wolfpack defeated the Cavs 60-54 in the fourth Hoops 4 Hope, which raises awareness for breast cancer.
Pack prevails for Yow
A
packed Reynolds Coliseum crowd was treated to a 60-54 Wolfpack win over the University of Virginia on Saturday night for the fourth annual Hoops 4 Hope.
The event, started by Kay Yow to support breast cancer research, raised a total of $91,200 for various charities, including the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. Yow, who passed away Jan. 24, 2009, was not present to see several of her goals for the event realized. The game was nationally televised and sold out for the first time. The Pack rallied to defeat No. 17 ranked Virginia and improve their conference record to 4-7. The Wolfpack earned its first win against a ranked opponent since March 2007 in front of 8,560 fans. The event, in its fourth year, raised over $100,000 in its first three years for the Triangle affiliate of Komen for the Cure, but this year was the first time all of the money was received by the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, a charity organization that began at last year’s Hoops 4 Hope event.
The University has created a Web page to help facilitate awareness and comments regarding the budget cuts, according to Keith Nichols, the director of NCSU news and communications. The new Web page has numerous memos and letters sent from both within the University as well as within the UNC System. Some of the memo authors include Cha ncel lor Ja mes Oblinger, Vice Provost Larry Nielsen and Vice President for Finance of the UNC System Robert Nelson. The objective of the Web page is two-fold, Nichols said. “We wanted to keep the campus aware of the [budget] conversation,” Nichols said. “We also needed a way for budget managers to get quick answers.” Nichols said there are budget managers in every college on campus, and it was important for all of them to get information immediately, especially considering the mid-year budget cuts. “There’s a lot of interest in the budget, the economy and us as an orginazation,” Nichols said. “One of the things is the midyear reduction. Mid-year reductions mean you’ve got to drop what you are doing and plan.” The Web page is still undergoing improvements, and Nichols said he hoped the Web site would be altered in the “not-so-distant future.”
insidetechnician
FOR MORE INFORMATION Budget Central, the new Web page the University is using to educate and facilitate comments from students and faculty, is located at http://www.fis.ncsu. edu/rm/budget_central/
EXAMPLES OF MEMOS AT BUDGET CENTRAL “2009-11 Budget Reductions — University of North Carolina” r from UNC System Vice President for Finance Robert Nelson r outlines suggestions to alleviate the problem, such as increasing class size and provide less financial aid “Emergency Expenditure Guidlines” r from Provost Larry Nielsen and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business Leffler r states University guidelines for the current situation on topics such as personnel expenditures and travel-related expenditures “Update on the Budget” r from Chancellor James Oblinger r goes into University policy on how the budget reductions will be handled SOURCE: BUDGET CENTRAL
The main improvement will be a separation of the section for faculty and students from the budget manager section. The Web site also has a suggestion feature for those who wish to comment on the University’s financial situation. “We’ve gotten some volume of comments [so far],” Nichols said. CENTRAL continued page 3
Dressing chic for cheap this spring See page 6.
DREIER CARR/TECHNICIAN
A representative from Time Warner Cable presents interim coach Stephanie Glance with a check for $91,232.72 during the Hoops for Hope game vs. Virginia at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 15. A portion of the proceeds from the sold-out game benefited the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.
SEE PAGE 8 FOR FULL STORY
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Board of Governors approves system-wide tuition increase Friday NC public university students can expect to pay more for school next year Ty Johnson & Allie Landry News Editor & Staff Writer
The UNC Board of Governors met on Friday and approved a tuition and fee increase for NC public universities for the 2009-10 school year. In-state tuition will increase an average of 3.9 percent across North Carolina. The BOG approved the plan proposed by Erskine Bowles, President of the UNC System, in January. In his memo, Bowles requested that tuition and fee increases requested by university chancellors be reduced by 33 percent. “The unprecedented scope of this recession and its growing impact on North Carolina families mandate a different approach, both in terms of the amount of increase and the use of funds,” said Bowles. The 3.6 percent tuition increase proposed by NC State in October was cut to 2.4 percent. In-state undergraduates can now expect to pay $3,953 in tuition next year, an increase of $93 from this year. All but two of the board’s 32 members
N.C. STATE TUITION RATE INCREASES NORTH CAROLINA From
NON-RESIDENT
To
%
From
To
%
Undergraduate
$3,860
$3,953
2.4
$16,158
$16,438
1.7
Graduate
$4,268
$4,408
3.3
$16,316
$16,456
0.9
UNC-CHAPEL HILL TUITION RATE INCREASES From
To
%
From
To
%
Undergraduate
$3,705
$3,865
4.3
$20,603
$21,753
5.6
Graduate
$5,013
$5,413
8.0
$19,411
$19,811
2.1
N.C. CENTRAL TUITION RATE INCREASES From
To
%
From
To
%
Undergraduate
$2,218
$2,264
2.1
$11,962
$12,333
3.1
Graduate
$2,757
$2,936
6.5
$12,578
$13,395
6.5
SOURCE: BOG BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
voted for the increase. Greg Doucette, member Ex Officio of the BOG, said there was an overall consensus that tuition had to be increased to maintain the quality of education in light of recent budget cuts. In addition, if the BOG did not raise tuition, the state legislature most likely would, said Doucette. Revenue generated by the legislature is considered state-generated revenue, and can thus be allocated as the state sees fit. “This way, the money stays on our
campuses,” said Doucette. The two dissenting members, Steve Bowden and Gladys Robinson, have expressed opposition since the beginning due to the strain that any tuition increases would represent for families, says Doucette. The plan must still be approved by the NC General Assembly before it goes into effect. The NCGA may further increase tuition and fees if additional revenue is needed.
“It’s definitely a risk and legislative subject as they have on anything else.” leaders have talked about it,” said DouDoucette said the real issue was the cette of a further increase. general assembly, since it could spurn Some BOG members supported the the BOG’s requests and raise tuition tuition increases originally proposed rates even higher. by university chancellors. They be“The bigger question is whether we’ll lieved that tuition increases adhering be able to stop the general assembly to the 6.5 percent tuition increase cap from overriding this decision and raismandated by the BOG ing tuition rates even should have been acmore,” Doucette said. cepted, according to Oblinger also comDoucette. mended UNC President Both Doucette and Erskine Bowles for his Cha ncel lor Ja mes leadership in the face Oblinger said the of economic adversity Board’s decision was as he moved to cap tuwell-researched and ition increases to keep Chancellor James Oblinger costs low. very carefully made. “The whole process on the BOG’s responsibility to “The president was not trade quality for has been very slow trying to show the pop[and] very delibera- cost-efficiency, even in today’s ulation of North Carotive,” Doucette said. lina [that] there was economic situation Oblinger said the some empathy to their BOG put a huge effort plight,” Oblinger said. into the decision and fought through “We’re going to do everything we can dissent to arrive at what it felt was the to avoid sacrificing quality.” best decision for students and the UNC Oblinger stressed the importance of System. maintaining the UNC System’s promi“They weren’t together at the start,” nence despite cut-backs. Oblinger said. “You can provide access, you can “The Board really struggled with this make it affordable, but if the quality decision.” “The Board has worked as hard on this BOARD continued page 3
“If the quality isn’t there, what good does it do the student?”
Representatives from Balfour Class Rings will be at NC State Bookstores Feb 1620th. Final chance to order for the ring ceremony!