In "Constant Vigilance," the summer editorial board noted last week that the administration resolved to focus on reductions to administrative spending during the most recent budget reduction process. Do you think the administration has followed through with its commitment to "back of the house" reductions, or have cuts affected students' experience?
The administration has been pretty good thus far about making cuts that don't substantially affect the student body. There are some glaring exceptions, of course the reintroduction of some student loans being one. More to the point, however, the "back of the house" spending analogy that the administration is making is troubling. Isn't the entire so-called "house" built for the highest-quality student experience? Given that, it seems that the administration is only worried about the "facade of the house."
Andrew Clay '12
The administration has thus far followed through with its promise to preserve the quality of the student experience amidst budget cuts. But the College, just like the country, is not yet out of the economic frying pan. Therefore, the College must continue to focus on preserving the quality of the student experience and must continually seek to trim bureaucratic bloat.
Jasper Hicks '12
The administration should be lauded for avoiding the sort of crippling financial contractions that have paralyzed other schools nationwide. It has not only followed through with its commitment to wise spending habits, it has created a model for other institutions to follow that could produce widespread good.
Raza Rasheed '12
I think the College has done a good job preserving the student experience throughout the budget reduction process. If they have cut back on spending areas that involve the student experience, neither I nor anyone I have talked to has noticed it. In fact, it remains to be seen whether there are more areas the College could trim some fat from.
Peter Blair '12
The administration has made the tough decisions necessary to guide the Dartmouth ship through turbulent seas. Students have felt the impact, but the Administration has managed to preserve the "Dartmouth experience" throughout these trying times. Dartmouth is still Dartmouth, and student life has remained largely unaffected.
Kevin Niparko '12
It's been my observation that the administration has kept its commitment to preserving essential student experiences. Though there has been a necessary tightening of the belts amongst student programs, Dartmouth has remained largely unchanged in the opportunities it offers.
Jacob Batchelor '12
The administration's budget plan appears to have successfully preserved the full Dartmouth experience for current students. However, through the decision to end Dartmouth's no-loan financial aid policy, future classes may feel the impacts of budget cuts more powerfully. The re-implementation of loans compromises Dartmouth's commitment to socio-economic diversity and contradicts the College's professed belief that a good education is a right, rather than a privilege. We can only hope that the budget surplus will be put towards a return to the no-loan policy.
Emily Johnson '12
