Consult students

Facing a $3.75 million deficit, the College of Liberal Arts announced last week that 15 centers and institutes may lose a total of $1 million in funds from the college, based on recommendations from the Academic Planning and Advisory Committee.

In particular, the committee recommends that the college cut all of its funding for the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies and the Center for East Asian Studies. It also recommends a 40-percent cut for the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies and the Center for Mexican American Studies.

Exposure to and increased understanding of other cultures allows students to better understand the world around them. Cutting funding for ethnic studies programs reduces the quality of education students can receive from the University.

Moreover, when a college reduces or eliminates funding for a center or department, it suggests the center and its mission are not priorities. Consequently, other potential national sources of funding will be less inclined to fund the centers, leading to an overall reduction in funding. Eventually, with little support, the centers may not be able to sustain themselves, and they may be eliminated entirely.

The committee assessed the financial needs of various departments and centers in the College of Liberal Arts and based its recommendations on several factors, such as the number of semester credit hours offered within each center and the total number of students in the respective major.

However, the college should also take student input into consideration. Gauging student feedback may show that students truly care about ethnic studies. Furthermore, students could possibly identify other ways to distribute the cuts. While administrators can contribute their perspectives on the budget, students are in a unique position to point out inefficiencies in various departments. After all, we are the ones attending classes daily.

The Senate of College Councils passed a resolution in September creating the College Tuition and Budget Advisory Councils to provide student input to college deans and administrators who are charged with the responsibility of making budget cuts.

All but two colleges — the Graduate School and the Division of Continuing Education — will have an advisory council composed of students from the respective colleges. Senate hopes to launch the advisory council for the College of Liberal Arts by the end of the semester, according to The Daily Texan.

The college’s deficit will provide the advisory council with its first challenge. Council members will be responsible for representing their constituents when meeting with college administrators, and hopefully the college will consider student feedback before making any cuts.