Spring Break
Student leaders initiate financial oversight committee
Aaron Hedge and J. David McSwane
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: News
In response to CSU President Larry Penley's controversial spending in recent years -- pushing millions of dollars that could have gone to starving classrooms into administration and research -- student government officials have formed an investigative committee to review the trends reported in the Collegian.
The grassroots, student-run committee plans to release its findings to state organizations and legislators who have called for transparency after finding out about Penley's overhaul of top-level administration and increased focus on marketing research initiatives, which can't fund the academic mission of the school.
"Our ultimate goal is a nice, shiny booklet to present to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education," said committee leader Dan Palmer, the former director of Education for the Associated Students of CSU.
In Penley's five years as president, funding for administration has skyrocketed and for the first time in school history, surpassed funding for CSU's colleges.
During Penley's five years as president, tuition and fees have risen 52 percent and 73 percent, respectively -- a trend some
members of the ASCSU say is troublesome.
University officials have defended the increases in administrative spending as an initiative that will bring CSU up to par with peer institutions and the academic colleges.
"There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there about the budget and the budget process," said Brad Bohlander the university's chief spokesperson, referring to several articles that printed in the Collegian in recent weeks regarding the controversial funding trends. "The more people involved in the budget, the better."
The committee's report will go to the CCHE, the CSU System Board of Governors and the Joint Budget Committee, which approve the university's final budgets.
In February, the group of student government leaders as well as students from the university's academic colleges plans to present its report to state officials with detailed spending analyses of how Penley's saturation of high-paid administrators with large budgets affects students and the academic colleges, which have seen much smaller funding increases in recent years.
The grassroots, student-run committee plans to release its findings to state organizations and legislators who have called for transparency after finding out about Penley's overhaul of top-level administration and increased focus on marketing research initiatives, which can't fund the academic mission of the school.
"Our ultimate goal is a nice, shiny booklet to present to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education," said committee leader Dan Palmer, the former director of Education for the Associated Students of CSU.
In Penley's five years as president, funding for administration has skyrocketed and for the first time in school history, surpassed funding for CSU's colleges.
During Penley's five years as president, tuition and fees have risen 52 percent and 73 percent, respectively -- a trend some
members of the ASCSU say is troublesome.
University officials have defended the increases in administrative spending as an initiative that will bring CSU up to par with peer institutions and the academic colleges.
"There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there about the budget and the budget process," said Brad Bohlander the university's chief spokesperson, referring to several articles that printed in the Collegian in recent weeks regarding the controversial funding trends. "The more people involved in the budget, the better."
The committee's report will go to the CCHE, the CSU System Board of Governors and the Joint Budget Committee, which approve the university's final budgets.
In February, the group of student government leaders as well as students from the university's academic colleges plans to present its report to state officials with detailed spending analyses of how Penley's saturation of high-paid administrators with large budgets affects students and the academic colleges, which have seen much smaller funding increases in recent years.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Bob Vangermeersch
posted 10/15/08 @ 12:51 PM MST
Gentlemen
There are severa;l areas to check into:
1. Internal Audit Dept.--- The head of that dept. should report directly to the BOG. I have found that Penley writes and approves the Dept. (Continued…)
Lester Washington
posted 10/20/08 @ 12:05 PM MST
DEAR ASCSU:
EXCELENT MOVE ON THE "FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE." CSU ALSO NEEDS A FAIR AND UNBIASED EMPLOYMNENT COMMITTEE TO ASSIST MINORITIES IN GETTING CLASS ASSISTANT, TEACHER ASSISTANT, GTA, GRA, TEACHER ASSSISTANT, AND OTHER ON CAMPUS JOBS AND POSITIONS ON CSU'S CAMPUS. (Continued…)
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