By Bianca Strzelczyk
Charged with the task of making a recommendation to the administration each year on the university’s upcoming budget, including tuition increases, the Committee on Funding Priorities (CFP) began meeting in September to discuss the 2005-06 fiscal year.
The CFP consists of 27 members who represent a wide range of the university, including deans, professors, vice presidents, provosts and three members from the student population — two from the Student Government Association (SGA) and one from the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA).
Over a period of about three months each year, the members of the committee hash out what they believe should be the budget priorities. Members of the committee suggests where they believe money should be placed, surrounding issues such as faculty salary, financial aid increases, the expansion and upkeep of Snell Library and tuition increases.
CFP Chair Steven Morrison, a professor in the Economics Department, said the CFP takes into consideration how each proposal could potentially help get the university into the Top 100 on US News and World Report’s list of best colleges.
“Figuring out how to take Northeastern to the next level is part of our goal,” Morrison said.
While university officials give their recommendations for the budget, SGA executive board members present what they find to be of most importance for funding in addition to adding a student’s perspective to the committee. SGA Vice President for Student Affairs Erin McFadzen and Vice President for Financial Affairs Alison Barlow will sit on the committee this year.
McFadzen said some of the priorities stressed by the SGA representatives this year were for funding for extended library hours and a stadium.
The priorities of the undergraduate population were collected from SGA surveys during Campus Invasion Day Nov. 9. The CFP representatives also bring with them the insight of other SGA senators, McFadzen said.
Provost Ahmed Abdelal, a member of the CFP, said he will stress this year the importance of keeping salaries of professors, deans and other members of the university competitive in today’s constant rising market.
“[The university needs] to keep professors here,” Abdelal said.
Abdelal previously secured funding for the hiring of 100 “star” professors over a five year period.
After the CFP makes its recommendation before the new year, a budget committee, consisting of six senior university officials, reviews the presentations and ultimately decides the budget, including the percentage of the yearly tuition increase. President Richard Freeland then evaluates the budget and finalizes it. The final budget is reviewed and decided on in early March by the Board of Trustees.
Sam Soloman, director of the Budget Office and one of the six members of the budget committee, said the committee looks into overall factors when deciding the final numbers while keeping in mind their customer — the student.
“[We decide] what is a fair thing to do to the students,” Solomon said. “We need to be careful in raising the budget, we want to make [Northeastern] as affordable as possible.”
After last year’s CFP recommendation and the push from the student representatives on the board to keep the 2004-05 tuition increase at an all-time low, tuition went up 4.5 percent.
The only way for students to continue to receive what they expect from this private institution is through raising the tuition, Abdelal said. As an example, he cited the cost of circulating current periodicals in the library goes up 10 percent each year. In order to keep the reference guides available, it is a necessity to increase the amount students pay per semester.
Overall, Soloman said, “All investments made are for direct improvements for the students.”
– Staff writer Michael Naughton contributed to this report.
