Every enterprise needs to “trim the fat” every once in a while. John Silber’s recent job cuts announcement should be accepted by the Boston University community as a routine recession-time practice, aimed at making the University more efficient. However, students should greet his words with caution, as they point to a larger national trend.
Silber, speaking at the president’s annual “state of the school” address, said BU is planning to cut 450 jobs, yielding $25 million dollars in budget savings for the 2003-2004 academic year. While several hundred administrative jobs will be cut, University officials have insisted that professors will not be among those fired — BU will simply not seek replacements for some retiring and resigning faculty members.
With a continually slumping economy and the University endowment’s value shrinking at the fastest rate of any of its size last year, budget austerity is especially important right now. In tough times, tough choices must be made. Job cuts will increase the efficiency of the University, eliminating the “dead wood” and freeing money for more essential staff positions and important University projects.
Administrators have been adept at spinning the proposed job cuts, saying they are being made in the interest of keeping all student programming. University officials have also justified the cuts as coming in lieu of unnecessarily large increases in tuition.
However, BU’s budget cuts should also be greeted with caution. Cuts in full-time faculty positions point to a greater national trend of filling vacant faculty positions with part-time professors, who are assigned the dirty work without the traditional faculty benefits. While big-name faculty members increase the University’s visibility and national notoriety, BU’s first mission should be quality education in an exploratory educational environment for all current students. Full-time, secure faculty members should be central to that mission.
Silber contends that this round of cuts is simply part of a budgetary cycle. Students and parents should hold him to his words and demand that this year’s cuts not turn into a regular routine. While poor economic performance is an acceptable justification for cuts this year, the necessity of additional staff cuts in future years should be examined carefully for the telltale signs of questionable motives.
BU’s tuition is among 13 of the most expensive in the country. Those paying that tuition should expect efficiency while continuing to demand a high-quality, personal education from full-time experts in all fields.
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