The start of New Student Orientation has brought some welcome relief to Blacksburg and the New River Valley through the economic contributions made from these participating students and their relatives. Unfortunately, it is a brief highlight in what has been an otherwise challenging summer for many businesses.
Daily life continues to be more expensive that ever before. While gas is cheaper than a year ago at this time, everything else is costing more. A walk through a grocery store shows how the prices of basic items - milk, eggs and bread - are higher. It is not to say that bargains can't be found, as we have become more conscious about when and how we spend our money.
The landscape has changed as businesses are becoming more creative in finding ways to entice us to spend our money. For example, you can find some great deals with regard to meals. Remember when Subway unveiled its $5 foot long promotion last year? We all can recite the jingle; it turned out to be a great marketing tool. Quiznos soon followed with a lower price deal and even launched a new sandwich, the Torpedo. Today, you see similar $5 promotions at Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Arbys, KFC and other restaurants. Will we see similar promotions with the on-campus dining options at West End or Au Bon Pain?
While each of us is trying to manage the economic times, our own university is facing tough times. Just last week, President Steger sent a message indicating that the university has been asked to prepare plans for an additional 5, 10 or 15 percent cut. This is already on top of existing cuts made this past year and a reduction in state funding. While the message indicated that the cuts would be handled centrally, there is a limit as to what the university can cut without having a dire impact.
As the university keeps trimming costs, what/who will be left? It raises serious questions about the essential services that the university must have in order to provide a suitable education. The answers to these questions will have implications on all members of the university community and the future direction of the university. For example, with the prospect of no raises until 2013, this has an impact on the overall morale of staff and faculty.
Virginia Tech is not alone, as other higher institutions throughout the country are facing difficult decisions as they tackle the budget issues. Just recently, some schools have resorted to furloughs, layoffs, forced retirements, four day work weeks, shorter office hours, increasing deferred maintenance, mid-semester tuition increases, etc.
And just as each of us has been forced to become more financially cautious, the university is also facing decisions about how it is going to use the limited funds that it has available. The challenge will be that whatever decision the university makes will not only impact the university community, but the surrounding community, as well.
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Well it's good to see people aren't putting spinners on their wheels anymore or DVDs in headrests. That is a good cost cutting measure.
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The university spends tons of money. For example, notice all of the construction on Stanger street, the Litton Reeves parking lot, the East AJ renovation, the new dorm over by Cochrane, and many other new facilities that have been built or renovated during the last four years. Yes these are all desirable and some needed improvements, but increasing student tuition at around 8% annually is just crazy. Do we really believe that the education offered at Virginia Tech has improved by 8% each year? I do not. There is only so much the students and their families can take. At a time when American citizens are tightening their wallets, the school finds it appropriate to take even more money out of its students pockets to satisfy its own desires.
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