who else just got the email from ole woodson. i just have to get some thoughts out. its interesting we are in a budget crisis but yet the library just bout 2 $16,000 Microsoft Surfaces, and they have one of the wall-sized interactive video boards on order. and they just got (although not announced) a multi-million dollar technology grant that they are going to use on more of this technology that, although cool and fun to play with, is just not necessary

7/15/2010 12:18:55 PM

btw, for here's the email that just went out

Quote :

" July 15, 2010 To NC State University students, By now, you have probably heard the news that NC State plans to raise tuition for the 2010-11 academic year by $750, in addition to the already approved tuition increase of $150 for in-state undergraduates and $200 for all other students. I'm sure a tuition increase of this magnitude, especially so close to the beginning of the year, is not the news you wanted to hear. North Carolina's universities have taken $575 million in budget decreases over the last three years. NC State's share of this year's reduction is almost $20 million. Students, faculty and staff have all borne the burden of difficult budgetary times. In meeting the state's budget needs, the legislature had little choice but to reduce budgets for state-supported institutions and agencies. Recognizing that another deep budget cut would further threaten academic quality, the legislature gave the state's universities the ability to raise tuition rates and use the dollars to slow the academic erosion. In an ideal world, we would have other options. But the simple truth is that after another deep budget reduction, tuition is the only way to hold off another round of eliminating course sections and classroom seats. With fewer seats and class sections, your time to graduation would slow down. Many students already have felt the effects of last year's budget reduction and have shared their frustrations with me. But even a tuition increase of this size is no silver bullet. NC State will still see about a $3 million budget shortfall. Our promise is to continue to protect the academic core to the extent possible and continue to do all we can to ensure students have the opportunity to make steady progress toward graduation. We also will continue to be strong partners with the state in job creation and economic development to help ensure that there will be jobs available for you when you graduate. It is important to note that even with this increase, NC State's tuition remains lower than all but one of the schools on its peer list û and in most cases, by a significant amount. In addition, we will honor our historical commitment by setting aside 20 percent of the increase for need-based financial aid. I am sure you have questions, suggestions and comments on this matter. I hope you will take the time to look at the questions and answers on the budget news site, where you can also submit your comments. http://www.ncsu.edu/budget This is not an easy situation for anyone involved. I appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to navigate extraordinary economic times. Chancellor Randy Woodson"

7/15/2010 12:19:32 PM

they need to lower the admissions standards and get us up to about 40,000 undergrads

that will bring in a shit ton of extra money

7/15/2010 12:21:06 PM

How much lower can the standards go??? Have you seen the fucking retards that post on these boards??

7/15/2010 12:25:51 PM

what a shitty rant.

7/15/2010 12:26:20 PM

Quote :

"what a shitty rant"

No doubt. This issue deserves better.

7/15/2010 12:38:25 PM

I understand the increase is necessary, but dbhawley did mention some good things. I always found it ridiculous that the library had stuff like that. For example, an 40" HDTV to display news briefs instead of a bulletin board. Do they still have a fucking Playstation 3 in there as well? Fucking retarded spending on their part. If they're hard up for cash they should liquidate that stuff instead of charging students more.

[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 12:41 PM. Reason : ]

7/15/2010 12:41:12 PM

If only there was a section where people can bitch and moan and rant and rave. You know, get up on their soap box, so to speak. I wish the admins would create such a section.

7/15/2010 12:42:41 PM

^

7/15/2010 12:44:36 PM

I just checked the website for the library.

There are 8 group study rooms with wall mounted 43" HDTV LCDs. Who knows why they need that shit. I never needed it when studying.

And let's say there's two in other places around the library (probably more)

And let's say these cost $1500 each (reasonable price).

Hey I just saved the school $15,000.

7/15/2010 12:46:29 PM

^ Except they already own them.

So you saved nothing.

7/15/2010 12:51:11 PM

Quote :

"the increase is necessary"

OH but It's not necessary. It's only necessary if the school wants to keep shopping and spending like a desperate housewife. I bet there are more than ample alternatives that can be cut to save the school millions of dollars.






...if only they used "the brain" they're supposedly creating

[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 12:51 PM. Reason : .]

7/15/2010 12:51:14 PM

money already appropriated has nothing to do with your perception the budget crisis

7/15/2010 12:51:42 PM

Quote :

"^ Except they already own them. So you saved nothing."

That's when you sell things.

And yes, I know they wouldn't get the money back. Maybe they shouldn't have spent all their reserves on buying HDTVs for every nook and cranny of every building in the first place.

7/15/2010 12:53:03 PM

im sure you enjoyed them so why you complainin



tell em why u mad son tell em why u mad

7/15/2010 12:55:19 PM

thanks GOD for the support. funny thing is, yesterday while i was talking to the different library heads, i asked how much the Surface's cost and how much the full-wall video board will cost. they said that the surface's were actually pretty inexpensive (so now we see that $15,000 is inexpensive) but the video board will be very costly...so who knows what that could equal. How about we lose the surfaces and video wall and hire a couple more professors.

im just throwing that out there

7/15/2010 12:55:28 PM

for 15gs?

7/15/2010 12:56:43 PM

I'm just going to dropout! That'll show them!!

7/15/2010 12:58:29 PM

Let's list the essentials for learning:




-A Teacher
-a Student
-Pencil
-Paper

7/15/2010 12:59:17 PM

get rid of some of the scanners in the digital media lab! why are there 20 scanners in there?

7/15/2010 1:02:00 PM

-a brain
-prior knowledge

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

7/15/2010 1:02:45 PM

Having computer labs is almost nonessential anyway, since having a laptop is practically required. I know that Thompkins has at least 3 or 4 computer labs, and 90% of the time I walk by the student in charge of monitoring it is just snoozing while the lab is completely empty.

7/15/2010 1:03:58 PM

Having a laptop is in no way required unless you're some BS English major who has to write like 50 pages a week or something.

My laptop only comes in handy because i do HW at like 4am the day its due, and i'm too lazy to drive to campus for any reason

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

7/15/2010 1:06:07 PM

- large TVs and monitors in the conference rooms/presentation practice rooms so students can learn about and practice the skill of giving presentations -- skills that they will actually use later in life during their professional careers

7/15/2010 1:06:52 PM

^bullshit.

Even then, they don't need 8 rooms with it in the library.

7/15/2010 1:07:51 PM

we spend like $0 on construction since we pretty much just throw up a bunch of bricks, and we still can't save a dime

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

7/15/2010 1:09:12 PM

lets just throw out about half the books in the stacks since i cant fathom in my own mind that they are being used!

7/15/2010 1:12:55 PM

Quote :

"its interesting we are in a budget crisis but yet the library just bout 2 $16,000 Microsoft Surfaces, and they have one of the wall-sized interactive video boards on order. and they just got (although not announced) a multi-million dollar technology grant that they are going to use on more of this technology that, although cool and fun to play with, is just not necessary"

Quote :

"How about we lose the surfaces and video wall and hire a couple more professors. "

You can't just do that. If the money for the library toys is coming from technology grants, then it's coming from foundations or private donors that are interested in funding those kinds of library toys, and not in funding salaries or general funds. Other funds for renovating the library have probably come from some of the bond issues or things like that, where the funds are directed towards and conditional on specific projects.

It might look wasteful to you, but don't blame the development folks at the library for being on the ball just because other development departments are dropping it. Be glad that you've basically got what amounts to a mini-Student Center on north campus.

7/15/2010 1:14:10 PM

7/15/2010 1:15:16 PM

Quote :

"tell em why u mad son tell em why u mad"

Also, did BHS just bring the Mad Rapper up in this thread?

don't think that shit went unnoticed, lol

7/15/2010 1:15:23 PM

why do we need robotic librarians in the new Centennial Campus library?

jeeeez!!!

7/15/2010 1:18:03 PM

Quote :

"its interesting we are in a budget crisis but yet the library just bout 2 $16,000 Microsoft Surfaces"

Quote :

"F**k A Budget Crisis (We Gonna Spend Money)"

7/15/2010 1:18:30 PM

The library shut was a private grant, and stuff like that
Is important to stay competitive.

7/15/2010 1:23:22 PM

To hell with the desitute condition of our economy! We will continue to gratuitously appropriate funds as we see fit.

7/15/2010 1:28:08 PM

yeah but it's a lot easier to bitch and moan about stuff if you completely ignore the points that invalidate your argument.

7/15/2010 1:31:27 PM

Quote :

"we spend like $0 on construction since we pretty much just throw up a bunch of bricks, and we still can't save a dime the state construction office pays for stuff like that and not tution money."

Quote :

"interesting we are in a budget crisis but yet the library just bout 2 $16,000 Microsoft Surfaces, and they have one of the wall-sized interactive video boards on order. "

Probably a situation where if you don't use all your budgeted money this year, they give you less next year.



[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 1:37 PM. Reason : It's still unreasonable.]

7/15/2010 1:37:23 PM

Quote :

" Probably a situation where if you don't use all your budgeted money this year, they give you less next year."

^This is exactly the problem. It's an unfit situation for allocating money that results in departments being miserable tightwads for 11 months out of the year, then spending money like it's going out of style in late May/early June to get it all off the books so they don't get less next year. Because:

A)Sometimes, you know, you might have the need for different amounts of money different years! Imagine that! The ridiculous budgeting process does not allow for this.

B)Put yourself in the shoes of a department/program head/dean. Given the choice between spending some money in a somewhat wasteful fashion, but that will still benefit your students or employees, or being "responsible to the taxpayers" and turning money back in, and thereby guaranteeing yourself a reduction in next year's operating budget by that amount or more, what are you really going to do?

Now I'm not trying to remove individual responsibility for this. Careful planning at the beginning of the year can help, as can critical thinking on "what do we REALLY need" when extra money exists at the end of the year, instead of buying massive stockpiles of office supplies, laptops that don't have a user, or new furniture that isn't really needed (all of which I've seen). But sometimes when upper administration drops 10 g's in your lap a week before the spending deadline and says "spend this or else"...shit happens. The system is broken.

7/15/2010 2:16:22 PM

Quote :

"Probably a situation where if you don't use all your budgeted money this year, they give you less next year."

Well, that's pretty much always the case. As previously mentioned money comes from all different sources, some of which can only be spent in certain ways. If the library is given 60k on a technology grant, they can't just hand it back to the university and say "hey guys, why don't you give everyone on campus $2 towards their tuition".

Quote :

"- large TVs and monitors in the conference rooms/presentation practice rooms so students can learn about and practice the skill of giving presentations -- skills that they will actually use later in life during their professional careers"

Exactly. Rather than having everyone crowd around one students 15" laptop, they can put up the presentation on the nice screen and everyone can see it. If people don't see the value in that, they're idiots.

Keep in mind that the money you're so upset about them spending a) probably wasn't yours in the first place and b) wouldn't put anything but the most insignificant dent in the tuition raise. Say the university were to sweep in tomorrow and go "we think this money should be spent on students directly, rather than on something that could increase the appeal and quality of our library", you'd still be stuck with a $899 tuition increase.

7/15/2010 2:19:24 PM

Is tuition for a full time student from N.C. 5 grand yet for a full academic year? I'm assuming it will be closer to 6 after this?

7/15/2010 2:27:38 PM

http://news.ncsu.edu/releases/nc-state-tuition-increase/

Quote :

"Here are the tuition figures for fall: Undergraduate in-state: $4,853 Undergraduate out-of-state: $17,388 Graduate in-state: $5,358 Graduate out-of-state: $17,406"

7/15/2010 2:36:30 PM

Is there a place that lists the tuition history on a year by year basis?

7/15/2010 2:39:13 PM

^ thanks, ^^, i started fishing around and found this;

2009-10 Expense Per Semester, Per Year
In-State Tuition and Fees $2,764 $5,527
Out-of-State Tuition and Fees $9,006 $18,012
Books and Supplies2 $475 $950
Room Rent1 $2,399 $4,798
Meals1 $1,584 $3,168
Other Personal Expenses2 $725 $1,450
Travel Expenses2 $437 $874
Total In-State Expenses $8,384 $16,767
Total Out-of-State Expenses $14,889 $29,778

Looks like it's going to be over 6 grand for a year for in state students, that's getting up there. Also, based on 5 months per semester to live in a dorm is $475 a month, that's got to be a joke of some sort?

[Edited on July 15, 2010 at 3:05 PM. Reason : .]

7/15/2010 3:04:18 PM

3/4 of that 475 is parking tickets

7/15/2010 3:07:30 PM

So I just called Financial Aid office wondering how this was gonna affect levels of need. They shut down today as they are going crazy over this. They just mostly got done processing everyones award letters, with most people already accepting (me being once which is why I called), and now have to redo everything.

They said call back next week they might have an idea by then.

7/15/2010 3:20:39 PM

Quote :

"There are 8 group study rooms with wall mounted 43" HDTV LCDs. Who knows why they need that shit. I never needed it when studying."

My senior design team and several others used these LCD mounts several hours a week, not to mention many other groups throughout my stay at NCSU. They are invaluable for working on a powerpoint, research paper, program, or any other computer based project. There is an online reservation system so you can actually get to use it to, because people use them all the time.

7/15/2010 3:26:41 PM

How is the university funded? The university’s funding comes from a variety of sources, and breaks down as follows:

* 44 percent from state appropriations
* 18 percent from contracts and grants
* 16 percent from tuition and fees
* 16 percent from auxiliaries
* 4 percent from gifts and other sources
* 2 percent from federal appropriations

7/15/2010 3:41:46 PM

Quote :

" * 4416 percent from state appropriations * 18 percent from contracts and grants * 1644 percent from tuition and fees * 16 percent from auxiliaries * 4 percent from gifts and other sources * 2 percent from federal appropriations "

Fixed

Cept I think that 44 is now even higher.

7/15/2010 4:05:00 PM

just make up a number, then

7/15/2010 4:10:54 PM

Ok.

* 2 percent from state appropriations
* 18 percent from contracts and grants
* 99 percent from tuition and fees
* 16 percent from auxiliaries
* 4 percent from gifts and other sources
* 2 percent from federal appropriations
* 83 percent from gifts from me!!!!!!11

7/15/2010 4:12:43 PM

I'm pretty sure its 190% from tuition

7/15/2010 4:14:04 PM