The long-awaited budget open forum at Radford University Thursday began like most meetings. President Penelope Kyle stood at a podium in the Bondurant Auditorium of Preston Hall and welcomed the large crowd. But eventually, students confronted Kyle and many then walked out of the meeting.
Kyle announced at the beginning of the meeting that the forum was for budget discussion only. “We are not going to answer concerns or questions on any other topic except the announced purpose for this open forum,” Kyle said.
Meanwhile questions were being written down by attendees and were handed to RU staff members who brought them to Vice Provost Rick Slavings, who then chose questions for Vice Provost Steve Lerch to read.
Kyle proceeded with her presentation, offering that state funding for RU’s educational and general (E&G) budget was at $52 million in 2008 but it’s projected at $49.6 million for 2009 and $44.6 million for 2010. Kyle painted a dire picture of dwindling state funding.
She said that a memorandum came from the governor’s office in July, two weeks after the fiscal year began, encouraging each institution to begin actions to curtail any discretionary spending. As time went on, it became apparent that more cuts would be necessary, and on Feb. 28, Kyle said, the state’s General Assembly recessed upholding a 15 percent budget cut suggested by Gov. Tim Kaine.
The state did, however, receive federal stimulus funds recently and restored $5.5 million of the 7.5 million in operating funds were thought to have been lost in the upcoming fiscal year. Kyle said that funds should be invested in ways that do not result in unsustainable recurring costs after funding expires. She added that acceptance of the stimulus funds was expected to mitigate the need to raise tuition and fees for in-state students, although RU’s six-year plan projected a 6.7 percent increase for in-state undergraduates.
After laying the backdrop for budget cuts, Kyle said that the administration is still in the process of putting the budget together for the next fiscal year. “That is why I wanted to schedule this open forum,” Kyle said. “I did not want to wait until we announced the budget before we had a forum in which you all could understand what restraints and constraints had been placed on the administration.”
Kyle offered the good news that RU would “take care” of the “outliers” as identified in a classified staff study as being severely underpaid as compared to their peer group.
The question-and-answer session then began with the first question read by Lerch describing an RU staffer asking about the possibility of losing her job in the current economy. “I’m personally not living like I used to live,” Kyle said in response, indicating that everyone is cutting back in the current economic climate. The response drew laughter from the crowd, as Kyle’s salary and bonuses come to more than $300,000 annually in addition to the use of a house and car.
Though students criticized the question selection process, it appeared that Slavings and Lerch were making an honest attempt to get a large cross-section of questions. Lerch estimated at one point that probably 100 or more responses had come in from the attendees. In all, approximately 800 people attended the event.
Trouble began brewing, though, when Provost Wil Stanton’s answer to a question about the hiring of a new vice provost failed to answer the actual question, which was couldn’t the money be used for something better, for instance to retain more adjunct instructors. After Stanton finished, murmurings spread throughout the auditorium. Students began shouting follow-up questions or instructions to simply answer the question that had not been addressed, but Kyle pressed Lerch to move onto the next question.
As students in the crowd began asking questions Kyle answered sternly, “I get to choose the questions, you don’t.”
The tension in the room soon elevated and a student on the front row, Rachael Sheinman, began asking Kyle to justify her salary and benefits in this time of budget cuts. Kyle simply walked away from Sheinman. With the situation beginning to get out of hand, Kyle announced that those not interested in finishing the budget discussion could leave, and approximately a quarter of the attendees exited.
The meeting soon resumed but a few students who stayed behind were still trying to get questions asked periodically. Stephen Schmidt, co-founder of the student group Students Advocating Liberal Arts, pleaded for his question to be read before stating, “You work for us, we don’t work for you.” Schmidt then left the meeting.
After the meeting, students still seethed outside of Preston Hall. They expressed concerns that the open forum was not particularly “open” and they acted with dismay at Kyle’s attitude toward them. Annabel Drucker, from the Student Media organization Radford on Camera was attempting in vain to get faculty or staff members to talk to her on camera. “Everybody’s scared to talk,” Drucker said. “I can’t get anyone to talk to me.”
Tim W. Jackson is Editor of the New River Voice.
8 responses so far ↓
1 The Man Who Snarls // Mar 27, 2009 at 7:10 am
Yesterday’s debacle was a laughable facsimile of an “open forum.” Kyle’s attitude is shameful. I figured that, if she were adept at anything, it’d be looking all nice-like for the cameras. Apparently not.
See, students? See, parents? This is the woman running the show: “I get to choose the questions, you don’t.”
Balls to that.
2 RU Alumni '03 // Mar 27, 2009 at 9:30 am
“I get to choose the questions, you don’t.”
Yeah? Well I get to choose if I donate to the University or not– you don’t, Ms. Kyle.
Disgraceful.
3 Alicia Ring // Mar 27, 2009 at 10:21 am
Yesterday’s “open” forum was a catastrophe, at best. As a concerned student, I want to know just what it WILL take to have my voice heard. We were not allowed to speak during the program review meetings. We were not allowed to speak at the forum. My questions—the question I’ve had all along—when ARE we allowed to speak?
What happened to the “core value” specifically stated in the 7-17 plan “ collegial working relationships among students, faculty, administrators, and staff” (page 3)
Without students, Radford University would not exist. At the forum, Penelope Kyle stood in front of the room, giving us statistics on how little of our budget comes from student tuition. She seemed to forget, however, that without students, there would be NO funding. There would be no state funding. There would be no private funding. There would be no UNIVERSITY.
As a student and member of S.A.L.A., I do not wish to work against the administration. I wish to work WITH the administration to share the concerns of students, to advocate for the liberal arts, and to actively participate in constructing the future of Radford University.
4 Concerned Grad Student // Mar 27, 2009 at 12:19 pm
This is what happens when you place an individual in a position they are not qualified to hold. How can an individual preside (as in, President) over a degree-granting institution without ever being involved in the field of education?
“I get to choose the questions. You don’t.”
Spoken like a true, great, proud, completely detached-from-reality, dictator, who, consequently, is not living the way she used to,…since she got that raise up to $300,000 a year. I can’t blame her, though. If I got a raise up to $300,000 a year, including the house and car, I probably wouldn’t be living like I am either! (In an 800 sq. ft. apartment, trying to earn a Master’s Degree.)
Kudos to the students who spoke up. Stay frosty. There will be more to come. You can take it to the bank.
5 CS // Mar 27, 2009 at 4:45 pm
When do WE get to ask the questions?
http://www.cafepress.com/thequestions
6 Students, Parents and Alumni: Speak Up // Mar 27, 2009 at 6:17 pm
As an employee of RU who loves the job they have despite the administration, and truly believes something will happen to topple said administration, we are a group hoping, pleading, praying and begging that students and parents will speak up and voice their discontent. This is an administration that is purely egotistical, with a “better-than-thou” attitude that is infuriating and disgusting. This is an administration not content on moving the university forward–they are only content in running it into the ground. I stay because I truly believe in the success of students, faculty, alumni and staff–I believe in the university, but as long as Penny Kyle is in charge, the environment bred will only continue to be that of distrust. The so-called “open” forum is only indicative of PWK’s attitude–everything is under lock and key, nothing is open, nothing voiced by faculty and staff will be heard. This is a dictatorship, not a presidency–this is a shameful display of academia. RU should not be a laughing stock–this is a proud institution unfortunately being run by someone who is ashamed of the university and thinks it and those who strive to receive an excellent education there are beneath her. Be our voices, students and parents and alumni–we are counting on you.
7 Bummed // Mar 28, 2009 at 9:40 am
I’m just sort of pondering things here and it seems to me that this forum just made things worse. Regardless of your point of view or where your sympathies lie on the various budget and academic programming issues, the forum should have HELPED the situation rather than worsening it. At the very least it could have promoted the dialogue and networking useful to the process of finding a solution. Instead it’s just left various groups and individuals feeling isolated and defensive. It would be easy to sit here and pick on personalities and attitudes, but the fact remains that ultimately it’s not constructive. A little more listening and a LOT less defensiveness and self-pity would go a long way. There is a “common good” to be found somewhere.
8 Students, Faculty Ask Questions at RU Open Forum Tuesday // Apr 1, 2009 at 12:46 am
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