This summer I have been given the opportunity to work with the UNCW Marketing and Communications Department as an intern. I wasn't really sure what to expect or what I would really be doing since I only have time to work ten hours a week at the office. Let's just say I'm on my 17th hour in the office so far and no class or textbook could have taught me as much as I have just begun to learn.
For starters I have my own "bat desk". My desk consists of a desktop hidden in a wooden bureau, that opens up to a full desk placed in the main hall way on the "writers" side of the building. Impressive, I know. On day one I was sent an e-mail full of files and links to read and study from various news sources, writing guides on different styles used in the office, to simple tips to help me "Make the Most of My Internship". After reading and studying my materials I received my first assignment to write a press release and a magazine article about the five UNCW coaches that had received CAA Coach-of-the-Year honors. My first press release and my first magazine article! They were throwing me in right off the bat! I immediately refreshed myself on how to even write a press release and decided to tackle that assignment first. With the generous help and patience of Mr. Joe Browning, the associate athletics director, and Joy Davis, one of the Marketing and Communications specialists, I wrote my first press release. Now after many edits it will soon be published! I wish I could share the joy with you of my first published writing piece, but believe it or not I became a published author in the forth grade... I'm clearly going places.
Writing for UNCW publications is beyond exciting and a huge learning experience but my favorite thing so far was the interview I got to attend yesterday. Ms. Joy Davis asked me to sit accompany her to campus to observe an interview between Lumina News, a local newspaper, and Mr. Charles Maimone, the Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs. The interview was about the upcoming state-wide, higher education budget cuts. Mr. Maimone explained what the budget cuts expect to be, how it will effect the university and its' students, and how the university plans to respond and transition with the large upcoming cuts.
I left his office stunned. I had a slight idea of the intended budget cuts because of a petition SGA had been in the process of creating to take to the state, but I had no idea of the overwhelming effects it will have on the students. State-wide we are expecting roughly 15% of our state funded budget to be cut. As one of the lowest funded schools in the UNC system that mean our budget of 106 million dollars would now be cut to 90 million for the 2011-12 fiscal year. State funding makes up about a third of UNCW's overall budget but that money is allocated to specific departments of the institution. A 15% budget cut would mean: 148 jobs will be cut, our average class size will grow from 24.7 students to 36.9, 454 class sections will no longer be able to be taught, meaning there will be 13,600 fewer class seats, and faculty who on average teach four classes each semester will now be required to teach five.
These budget cuts will create huge changes for the students of UNCW. Students will have a harder time taking the classes they need to graduate on time because of the cut class sections. The university is expecting it to take at least an extra semester for students who would typically graduate on time. With this the state will in the end, have to support students longer because of their extended stay at the universities. These budget cuts are setting students up at a disadvantage from the start. At this day in age where it is expected for students to attend college, it is becoming more and more expensive for kids to be able to do so. Financial aid is being cut, tuition is increasing, acceptance rates are decreasing, student loans are harder to come by, community colleges are cutting programs completely and raising credit hours costs significantly all accross the state.
The worst part of this is most students are not even aware of the changes and set backs they are about to face. Honestly, the only reason I know is because of this internship. Who's job is it to educate the students of the changes with their own university? Who's job is it to make them care about things like budget cuts? Most students don't pay their tuition or have a significant financial contribution to their higher education and therefore don't feel effected. Are these changes something that could be prevented with more support from the students? Now that I am more educated, is it my job to spread the word and educate my peers as well?
I am interested to see what the final outcome will be of the propsed budget cuts as the govenor, house and senate meet in the next few weeks to finalize a budget for the upcoming year. I'm interested to see how it will effect me and my peers at UNCW. I'm interested to see how SGA and other student representative groups on campus will react and work to help with the upcoming transitions. But mostly, I am interested as to how our new chancellor will react.
"Education does not mean teaching people to know what they do not know, it means teaching them to behave as they do not behave." - John Ruskin.
<3
Erin.
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