Page 117 - Phoenix1998-99

Thursday, February 18, 1999 ~ Page 9 Investigation: Where does all the money go? The first in a multi-part series exploring the truth behind WMC's administration andfinances this much because it ranges from BY RICH SUCHOSKI rectly. Instead, this money is in- A lot of the college's money there would be no more than an DistributionManager the $1,500 Carroll County resi- vested. also goes toward food service. $1 annual 4% increase in tuition, dency grant [provided by a group The larger the endowment. the million a year is spent on just the room, and board. Students always complain: "J effort of the College, local busi- more resources are open to the Col- This is still upheld for next year the not include pay 23 thousand dollars a year to nesses, and corporations] to full lege and the easier demands can be food. This does operating costs, or when the tuition is increased from plates, utensils, go here, why doesn't anything ever tuition." supported on campus. uniforms. $23,080 to an even $24,000, a work?" Who suffers from the "lost rev- WMC has a smaller endowment The computer network is re- 3.986% increase. Other common complaints in- enue"? Ultimately it is the students. than most comparable schools, questing $1 million for upgrades in clude: ."the food sucks, the com- "There's less money to operate the which means there are fewer re- networking between buildings and directly But this 4% increase does not to a 4% increase translate puters in Hoover Lab are incred- college," Williams explained. sources available. new computers all over campus for in the budget. Some of this extra ibly slow, the departments don't Ruth Thomas, the director of Other revenues include the the labs. money is given to the Financial Aid spend any money." Financial Planning and Budget, ex- graduate program, summer confer- To help with this project, the office in order to give more schol- This seemingly one-sided nega- plained that 58% of the total bud- ences, golf course, and a few rental state has just allocated the college tive attitude toward how the college get this year was covered by tuition, properties along Pennsylvania Av- an additional grant for the wiring arships. that could be A conclusion spends its money, begging for jus- room. and board. enue. of ethernet and fiber optics to mod- drawn from this fact is that, in ef- tification, calls for a look at the Where does the rest of the "Many of these have been con- ernize and generally improve fect, students could possibly be budget from a different perspec- money come from? verted to student housing over the internet access in some of the paying for their own scholarships. tive: the administration's point of The list is dizzying, but the past two years," Thomas explained. "Basically. the college operates view. main contributors include the An- like a household," Thomas relates. A large amount of students do nual Fund, which receives gifts to Currently, there are only six Utilities account for comes in from different not pay full price to attend West- rented to the outside world while "Money and then we pay our bills." sources ern Maryland College; some don't the rest are used for new faculty and over $1.3 million a No matter how much pay anything at all. The money Students always students. year, something for ments, student organizations, depart- reno- supplementing this has to be com- complain: HI pay 23 There are a few things which ing from somewhere. "actually lose money, such as the students to vations, or salaries demand, Tho- Patricia Williams, the director thousand dollars a Pub," Thomas says. "It breaks close remember the next mas puts it bluntly, "We have to live within the budget." of the Financial Aid department, is year to go here, why to even, but it's budgeted to take a able to account for much of the hit." time they see a college's spending by looking at the doesn't anything So where does it all go? faucet running in specific statistics of the incoming The projected budget is around freshman class. ever work?" $30 million for this year. the bathroom or a The Financial Aid office tracks The College is labor intensive down nearly everything credited to- the College from alumni, parents, with 60% of the budget going to- toilet that won't wards a student's tuition, including friends, businesses, corporations, wards salaries and fringe benefits, stop. but not limited to Stafford and other and foundations in the form of "un- such as taxes on paychecks. student loans, state awards, Federal restricted annual gi(ts" to help the Labor includes every person in Pell grants, work study, and ROTC budget where student tuition, room, every office, maintenance. custo- dorms. awards. and board fail. dial, and student workers, for ex- Utilities account for over $1.3 Last year WMC gave about The Annual Fund was respon- ample. Essentially, students' tu- Eom $500 - $1000 weekly stuffing a year, something for stu- $12.3 million in academic and sible for "4% of our revenues or ition, room, and board almost pays million to remember the next time envelopes. For details - RUSH $ 1.00 dents need-based scholarships to the in- $1.3 million this year which repre- the salaries here. they see a faucet running in the wjth SASE to: coming first-year students. sents the income on some $24 mil- There are also debt services, bathroom or a toilet that won't stop. "This is actually recorded as lion of endowment that the College which is like a mortgage and pays There's also insurance, sports HAVE FUNDS FUN lost revenue," Williams explained. does not have," as stated from the off renovations over the life of the teams need uniforms, the propa- for your CLUBS, - RAISING & GROUPS TEAMS Twenty-one first-year students 1998-99 Phone Center Manual. building. ganda papers from the Admissions Eamupto$500ormorc! don't receive any financial aid This certainly helps, consider- Included in this are the reno- office, computer labs, and the cable Put our 25+ years offundraising through our Financial Aid office. ing 24% of WMC's budget is de- vated Hill Hall rooms, the dining system and telephone bills. Student experience to work for you ''The average aid of the average voted to financial aid, such as hall renovations, the projection programming from SGA and CAp· Call NOW for details on FREE CD of freshman [not counting the 21 who grants, scholarships. and work screen TV side of the pub, and an Board, media board allocations, don't receive aid] is $16,202," Wi 1- study, for students. addition to Levine in the future. lecture funds, faculty development Iiams said. The above mentioned endow- The new science lab building is and travel, the Budapest exchange This may look like quite a hefty ment is the main concern of bud- going to take $13 million total with program, and upkeep of the build- sum, considering tuition is only geters. It's a pool of money to $3.5 million in help from the state ings in general, such as lightbulbs, $17.730 this year. However, Will- which contributors give with the and major help from the Defining also cost the college money. No sales required. iams warns that "it is misleading understanding that their money will Moment campaign which is still Also, WMC has had a strategic Fund Raiser days are filling up, 10 say the average student receives not be touched by the College di- collecting money. plan in effect since 1992 where so call today. Contact Chris 800-829-4777 PREGNANT? New faces increase staff visibility at Hoover Testing & Caring Counseling Free Confidential Pregnancy Help Call 1-800-521-5530 Continue Education & Career BY MATTHEW THOMAS In addition (0 developing rap- StaffWrirer ject guides for the WMC web site. some good trout fishing in the area, The Nurturing Network port, Ho does collection develop- The guides will contain library and so he will probably stay a while 1-800-866-4666 If you ask reference librarian ment and serves as liaison to the James Feagin or evening reference department. internet resources conveniently longer. He is also an avid string musi- Travel linked together librarian Clement Ho to help you He is currently working on sub- When he is not busy with li- cian with a studio in his house. locate an obscure speech or some brary tasks, Clement spends much ;CANCUN. BAHAMAS, PANAMA CITY such material, you have a signifi- of his time planning a garden. ct FREE PARTIES AND DRINKS wit cantly better chance of finding it "'"~-II In addition for being respon- r CaII1-888-777-4642tobookyourtTip Break! USA Spring as living search engines. "--,.•......... -"" . Feagin is currently reassessing the at STSisAmerica's#1 BREAK Student Tour than you would on your own. todav! sible for many of He's tasks, James . ,-.' - two men may be While these SPRING '99 than Lycos, a there is quite better ~ document collection government bit more to them than functioning Hoover. , Operator Clement Ho was born in Hong .> ;. . A Middlebury graduate, Feagin Don'tbookwithanyonech;~untilyou ' talk to us!!! he wanted Kong and grew up in Western ":1;.. _ . , came to WMC because and because he Cancun and Jamaica from $399 to move northward Canada. He attended the University Panama City and Daytona Beach from felt that his old job was over. $119 of Alberta. Student Travel Services Feagin has managed to find 1-800-648-4849 wwwS!Sfrayelcnw