Since the 25 percent drop that Emporia State’s Foundation suffered in its endowment last spring, the fund has seen an increase of 8.7 percent as of Feb. 28.

“We’re seeing improvement just like the economy,” said Judith Heasley, director of the ESU Foundation. “We’re slowly recovering along with everybody else.”

The endowment hit an ultimate low of less than $44 million less than a year ago but finished out Fiscal Year 2009 at $49 million. The endowment currently rests at $53.7 million which is closer to its total from the beginning of FY2008, July 1, 2008, of $57.5 million.

“It has a direct correlation with the economy,” said Trisha Ott, chief financial officer for the ESU Foundation. “As you see the Dow going up, our investments will also go up. We have recovered some and I do anticipate that it will gradually keep going up.”

As of Dec. 31, 2009, 19 percent of the funds that are used to give scholarships are underwater, which is up from 36 percent on Dec. 31, 2008.

“The good news is, it’s only 19 under,” Heasley said, “but it’s better than 36 under. That shows that we are slowly rising. This is close to being as bad as it was in 1929. To recover in 12 months is (not going to happen).”

Funds that are underwater cannot pay out scholarships unless the original donor can give an additional gift to pay the scholarship amount.

“When a fund is underwater, our options are to not make an award or to ask our donors, who are only in a position to make an outright gift, if they would consider making a donation equal to what their scholarship normally is,” Heasley said in a previous interview. “If a scholarship normally is a $500 scholarship and the fund is underwater so it’s not going to pay out, (we would ask that donor) would they be willing to contribute $500 to us so that it could be allocated directly to financial aid.”

The exact amount that will be available for student scholarships is still to be determined.

“That number is changing as we are (giving) donors calls and asking if they are able to give an outright gift for those that are underwater,” Ott said. “We’re still trying to gather unrestricted scholarship funds. We’ll have a better idea on May 1.”

Donor contributions are an important part of the scholarship monies that students will receive.

“Last year we came very close to what our average allocation was to the institution” Heasley said, “because of the generosity of the donors. We are shooting for the same type of result.”

Ott said that money is only being solicited from donors whose funds are currently underwater.

Heasley said that while many of the improvements can be attributed to the stock market, donor gifts have also played a role.

“There is a decline in giving this year,” Heasley said. “People are being more cautious with their dollars and they’re not giving as much. They may still be giving but the amount of the donations are lower. They still love us. They still want to give to us but they don’t have the disposable income to be able to make that gift on the level that they used to.”

The good news of a basketball championship, Heasley said, can bring additional donors.

“It creates an interest in ESU,” she said. “Our alumni office was getting emails from alums because (the alumnus) are so excited. Any type of interest, any good news out of ESU helps us fundraise.”

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With the economy in a slump, many students are finding it very difficult to pay for their education and survive financially. Athletes, thespians, musicians and the rest of the student body are all suffering.

With the success of the majority of the sports programs at Emporia State, there should be an increase in scholarship money. Unfortunately, the economic system is not exactly stable at the moment and a substantial increase is out of the question.

All of the athletic programs at ESU receive a large chunk of their scholarship money via donations from local companies and organizations.

As we all know, the economy has left a big dent in the pockets of a lot of people including those who make donations to the university. As can be expected, the university will receive substantially less money from donations for the various programs offered.

The university needs to initiate a plan in which all the athletic scholarship money would be gathered up and redistributed equally to each program.

The university should also do this for the theater, music and other student programs.

Another possible solution to this problem would be forcing the top 5 percent earners at the university to take a pay cut and redistribute that money equally into the various scholarship programs offered.

The next phase in redistribution, as cruel as it may sound, would be to shut down any programs that the university may deem as unnecessary and use the funds allocated towards them to more useful organizations.

Aside from university and private funding, the various programs on campus should still have to go out and raise money for their cause. If various organizations really need the money for their program they should not just expect the university to fully fund their program and should do their part and try to raise money.

For example, the state of Arizona is going through a budget crisis because the state is expected to be in debt by over three billion dollars during the 2009-10 fiscal year. The universities in Arizona are expected to have over $600 million of state funds cut in 18 months. If the university is forced to cut so much money there would be hundreds of layoffs and tuition could double. It currently costs around $9,300 to attend the University of Arizona per semester for a nonresident undergrad and could be increased to a gargantuan amount of $18,600 per semester.

The state of Kansas is facing a $200 million dollar deficit this year and it could increase up to an astonishing one billion dollars in the 2010 fiscal year. The state of Kansas will be forced to cut an estimated 7 percent from university budgets for the 2010 school year. Due to the cuts, Emporia State President Michael Lane has left 20 faculty and administration positions open with a possibility eliminating some student positions.

According to the Emporia Gazette, Lane said that a cut of 10 percent would probably force the university to lay off workers.

Lane also said that the university can deal with the 7 percent proposed cut, but if the cuts get above 10 percent, there could be long term implications in the education Kansas would be able to supply.

All students depend on government money as well as scholarships offered by the university they attend. If tuition were to double, it would be safe to assume that financial aid available to everyone would decrease by at least half. It would also be harder for coaches to budget their available funds to pursue athletes due the sudden rise in the cost to attend school.

Despite how cruel this plan may sound it could be an option the university should consider to save vital programs offered around campus. Emporia State athletics could benefit from this plan and it could be vital in staying competitive in the MIAA.

Matthew Pierce/The Bulletin

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ALTERNATE STORY FORM VERSION

As the Kansas legislature determines the future of higher education, Emporia State students may have questions about next year´s budget. Michael Lane, president of Emporia State, sheds some light on financial issues that affect ESU.

Why did the Board of Regents institute a tuition freeze?

“If the Kansas Legislature and the governor can hold our budget reduction to 7 percent, our budget gets reduced by no more than 7 percent, they agree to freeze tuition for one year. If the budget reduction is more than 7 percent, then they don’t agree to freeze tuition… It’s the recognition that families are suffering in this economic downturn as much as the state is and some cases more.

“If it goes deeper than 7 percent, for example the senate is looking at something like a 13 percent cut for higher education, if we have to reduce by 13 percent, that’s $4.6 million. That’s another $2.1 million that we will have to reduce from our budget and we’ve already reduced everything we can without getting significantly into areas that would negatively impact course offerings. We would probably have to get into layoffs and furloughs at that level. We want to avoid that at all costs.”

If the budget cuts are more than 7 percent, why won’t the Board of Regents keep the tuition freeze in place?

“Their purpose in freezing the tuition is to try to preserve the state general funding amount at the highest level possible… they wanted to make it less expensive for families and give the legislature some incentive to fund us at the level that they funded us last year… We are trying to work with the legislature to say, ‘Please get us back to 7 percent…’ We’ve been preparing for that for a year. It’s not easy. We actually eliminated 20 unclassified lines, seven classified lines, including 27 student work positions and 14 graduate assistant positions.”

How will additional budget cuts be dispersed throughout the different departments on campus?

“We have put a freeze on hiring. We have about 20 positions open and we will probably freeze those completely. That’s about $1 million. That will take care of 40 percent of the additional amount. Whatever there is left after that, we will calculate the dollar amount proportionally, allocate it out to the colleges and schools, and tell them that they have to cut that amount of money.”

What impact will the losses in the foundation have on students and the budget?

“The losses are not really reflected in the university budget at all. Where they do impact is scholarships. Initially, when we went through and did our analysis, 31 percent of our endowed scholarships were underwater. What the foundation did was took the list of all of those endowments and called the people who created them. Many of those people said, ‘Yes, I’ll fund the scholarship this year directly.’

How have the losses in the foundation impacted the number of scholarships that will be available next year?

“Not all of the scholarships will be available for next year but many of them will be. We had some unused scholarship money that we will be able to use for next year. We will do our best to find something to replace the scholarship that you were on. I can’t guarantee it because I don’t know what’s going to happen with the market tomorrow.”

Ashley Peaches/The Bulletin

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In a time when the economy dictates the decisions of virtually every person and organization, the Emporia State Student Recreation Center is no exception.

The Recreation Center receives its funds through student fees, which are included in tuition. “Our student body pays a student campus privilege fee and that is where we get our operating funds,” said JoLanna Kord, Director of Recreation Services. “The students have access to the recreation center and the swimming pool in HPER because they paid the fees.”

They also receive their funds through intramural leagues that they offer.

“We offer intramural leagues in the fall and spring,” Kord said. “We offer flag football and volleyball in the fall and basketball and slow pitch softball in the spring and they cost $30 to participate in.”

There are three other fitness facilities located in Emporia, which include the Emporia Recreation Center, Walburns and Emporia Fitness.

“I think we have some advantages as well as some disadvantages,” Kord said. “We offer a lot of great services and we open pretty early, however Walburn’s and Emporia fitness do have newer machines.”

The new treadmills at Walburn’s have television screens and the facility has just been remodeled to include a Salon and tanning beds.

“We do plan to replace some of the older machines in the future but due to the current economic situation we have to put that on hold,” Kord said. “We have to pay our workers first and the equipment is still in good condition it is just not as high tech as some of the newer machines available.”

Despite the lack of newer equipment, many students feel that the Recreation Center is sufficient as is.

“I like the equipment they have here and there is always people I know around here,” said sophomore Ben Adams. “I have been to Walburns and Emporia Fitness and I like the equipment here better.”

However some students feel that the Recreation Center gets crowded at times.

“I work out here around four days a week and I like how organized the facility is,” said freshman Nicholas Donovan. “It does seem a little cramped at times but once you get past some minor space issues it is really nice.”

The student recreation center is only open to students and faculty.

“We do not plan to compete against Walburns or Emporia Fitness,” Kord said. “We serve the students and if we were to open to the public that would defeat our purpose.”

Matt Pierce/The Bulletin

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With the current state of the economy, students may feel the need to forgo Valentine’s Day celebrations this year. But with tips from a few money-savvy professors, they may not have to.

“Valentine’s Day is really important and I think that people will still do something,” said Allen Walker, webmaster for the School of Business. “(Students) will make the day special to those that are important to them. You don’t always have to spend money to do that.”

Dipak Ghosh, associate professor of accounting and computer information systems, said the best way to save money on this holiday is to do special things oneself to celebrate, rather than spending a lot of money.

“For students, it may not make a big difference because they are living on a limited budget anyway,” Ghosh said.

Instead of taking that special someone out for dinner, students could try making a home cooked meal as an alternative.

Barbara Railsback, assistant professor of business administration and education, said that making the holiday a little less intimate and inviting others to enjoy a meal with would be a good way to cut down on individual expenses.

“By buying non-prepared foods, or not already cooked foods, you can plan a menu that will be a lot cheaper than it would be otherwise,” Railsback said.

Walker said that students could try making cards by hand instead of buying them.

“Instead of buying things that are expensive that (students) can’t afford, they should focus on doing things that are creative and things that are fun,” Walker said. “For someone special that they want to connect with, it’s always nice to get something that is unexpected or something that you didn’t know was coming.”

Handmade gifts are also one way to save money and create something that may be more memorable than a store bought item.

“(Students) could utilize their talents and create a gift,” Railsback said. “Make their own gift, versus going out and buying expensive chocolate or buying flowers.”

Railsback also suggested patronizing an entertainment venue that doesn’t require paying a cover charge to enter.

There are also entertainment options for those who would rather stay on campus this Valentine’s Day.

There will be two performances Saturday in Heath Recital Hall. Dean Somerville, a tubist, will perform at 3 p.m. Liliam Rodriguez, a vocalist, will perform at 7:30 p.m.

The art department will host a reception for their love themed exhibit from 4-6 p.m. Saturday at the Emporia Arts Council.

Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Student Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychology will host a table in the union where they will sell roses, bags of assorted candy and stuffed animals for under $15.

Ghosh and Railsback agree that students will not have to worry about saving money on Valentine’s Day because, if they are going to buy something, they will buy it whether or not the economy is down.

“What you spend on that day is not an economic decision because the decision is not based on economic factors,” Ghosh said.

They also agreed that the effect of Valentine’s Day on the economy wouldn’t vary much from years past.

“A lot of people don’t spend a lot of money anyway,” Railsback said. “They don’t spend on Valentine’s Day the way they do on Christmas. There may be a 10 percent reduction but I don’t think it’s going to be any more than that.”

Ashley Peaches/The Bulletin

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David Milford, assistant director of Career Services, sits at his desk Friday afternoon in the Morse Hall Complex. Milford helps alumni and other companies develop internship programs for ESU and works to connect ESU students with these opportunities. ANDREW DORPINGHAUS/THE BULLETIN

In today’s weakened economy, jobs have become more competitive for those entering the workforce. According to David Milford, assistant director of Career Services, internships are growing in popularity as a result.

“Now with our economy the way it is, average no longer works, you can no longer be average and get the job that you’re wanting to get,” Milford said. “You can get what’s left over, but you can’t go after the one you really want. You have to be above average, and I’m not talking about GPA with that. I mean above average in your volunteer work experience, your community involvement, the professional associations you belong to on campus and your internship experience.”

That doesn’t mean that having a strong GPA isn’t important, Milford said.

Some of the skills learned in the classroom were surprisingly useful, said Scott Hogan, a business administration graduate student who took part in an internship in Emporia.         Hogan interned with American General Financial Services from September 2007 to October 2008.

“There were actually a few things that I learned in class like in financial management or sales skills that I never thought I would use,” Hogan said. “And it kind of gave me a chance to see that those things are actually used in the real world.”

Milford explained the importance of gaining career oriented work experience rather than maintaining a dead end job during college to make some extra money.

“I often tell juniors and seniors that come in for a resume review that it is time to stop working jobs that just pay the bills and start working jobs that will build on your education,” Milford said. “Students tend to live in the ‘here and now,’ forgetting that a professional career is just around the corner.”

Hogan said that his internship helped him better understand the expectations of the workforce.

“It was a great experience, the people I worked with were really cool,” Hogan said. “It wasn’t like a paper pushing internship – they expected everything out of me that they did the other people that worked there.”

One of the most valuable experiences of his internship was working with others, Hogan said.

“I got a lot of experience working with people, the whole customer-relationship thing,” Hogan said. “That was probably the biggest thing I took away from it.”

After speaking with recruiters, Milford understands the expectations and concerns that they have with younger workers.

“The number one thing that all the recruiters in all fields tell us when they come here is the problem young people have working with other people,” Milford said. “They want to know that you have someone that is easy to get along with and takes instruction well, and that is what experience tells me about you.”

Milford said that not all interns can expect full time jobs at the end of their internship. Despite that, Milford said, internships are a great way to network and also create other  potential benefits.

“Internships, I think, are one of the best ways for networking to begin,” Milford said. “Maybe you won’t get the job with that company, but that company is your network to the rest of the state to Kansas – and trust me, if you’re an exceptional employee, that word is going to get out.”

ESU students interested in interning should first go through their academic adviser. Internships through a student’s academic department will usually earn the student three credit hours toward his or her major requirements. Typically, students must have maintained a 3.0 GPA and be a junior or senior to be eligible.

Internships can also be obtained through Career Services, Milford said. The difference would be that academic credits acquired would be applied as elective hours.      Milford said that at career services, he likes to shape internships around the student, not the other way around.

“I get students that come in here and I think they think I have a whole list of internships I’m waiting to fill them with students, but it doesn’t work that way here,” Milford said. “What I do is I like to have students come in and tell me what their needs are and what experience they’re wanting to get. Then I go out and talk to employers and see if I can talk the employer into doing an internship.”

The Career Center is located on the fourth floor of South Morse Hall. Besides helping students with internships, the career center focuses on helping students with resume development, interviewing skills, hire-a-hornet and other services.

ESU is now a member of www.internships.com, Milford said. The internships.com Web site said they have information on nearly four million potential employers. Those interested must get password information from the Career Center.

Brett Mize/The Bulletin

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