Richard Rice wrote:
> Since what follows may be considered "opinion," I am not posting through
> the "official" UTCINFO route. Ironic, isn't it, a university where the
> exchange of ideas (opinions) must be monitored.

A similar sentiment was offered by Marcia Noe a few days ago.  I still
don't see it that way.  It is the new official announcements list
(UTCINFO) that is "monitored" (actually "moderated" is a more
appropriate term).

Nothing has changed on "Raven" (UTCSTAFF).  Richard, Marcia, yours
truly, and everyone else can still post any opinions they care to share
on this list.  There are any number of issues over the years on which I
have differed with our administration, but I can't accuse them of
censorship of ideas based on the creation of a second mailing list for
official communications while the unofficial, unmoderated list still
exists.  I'm sorry some folks feel otherwise.

As far as the rest of Richard's message is concerned -- well put -- and
I would like to join Richard and Betsy Darken in commending Provost
Friedl for being open about academic budget priorities.  I, too, hope
the heads of non-academic divisions will do the same.

Joe Dumas

> First, I welcome the opportunity presented by Provost Friedl to examine the
> difficult choices and alternatives in the academic affairs budget.
> Apparently there is a 3% across the board minimum increase suggested, which
> tuition and other funds might augment. Since this will follow a year of
> zero increase, the real increase over two years will be something like
> 1.5%, depending on when it will be implemented (fiscal, academic, or
> calendar year), which is --- once again -- below the rate of inflation of
> 2.2% (August). The gradual loss of buying power, now more than a decade
> old, will continue.
>
> But let's not forget the total amount of money coming into the university
> from all sources. I am sure that Vice Chancellor Brown, Athletic Director
> Sloane, and the other Vice Chancellors all face the same difficult
> decisions about mandatory and optional spending in their budget proposals.
> We have been promised by Chancellor Stacy that their budgets will also be
> made available. This will dispel faculty discontent based on the suspicion
> that spending priorities have been directed elsewhere away from our
> academic mission.
>
> That is why I was encouraged at the Budget Meeting last Monday when
> Chancellor Stacy began his comments by asserting that our most important
> mission is education. He followed with a dire survey of higher education
> funding in general, and the UT system in particular. He is absolutely
> right: we should not expect a larger pie any time soon, and in fact with
> TennCare deficits and public displeasure at administrators at the top of
> the UT hierarchy, funding for higher education in Tennessee will certainly
> drop.
>
> That is exactly why the UTC community expects and deserves (without
> invoking Freedom of Information law) a full and open discussion
> of  campus-wide budget priority decisions, just as Provost Friedl has done
> with the Academic Affairs budget.