Spring Break
The Daily OrangeNew policy limits student class options
Budget cuts remove popular electives from fall schedules
By Ryan Balton
Posted: 8/26/08, 2:09 AM EST Section: News
While students were gearing up to return to campus, some found out they would have one fewer class to worry about.
Classes such as Wine and Beer Appreciation and Human Sexuality are no longer available to State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students - and those already enrolled found out these changes last Wednesday.
State budget cuts of up to 10 percent are to blame, and SUNY-ESF placed restrictions on what it calls "accessory instruction courses" that its students can take through a partnership with Syracuse University. The announcement was made in an Aug. 20 e-mail to students from Bruce C. Bongarten, SUNY-ESF's provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The college is also not filling vacant faculty positions and has reduced budgets for all departments, he said.
"I've used the word painful," Bongarten said. "It's very painful for me to do, and we only do it because the other choices are worse."
He added that the timing was poor, but SUNY-ESF didn't hear about the budget cuts until after students had pre-registered for the fall semester.
All state agencies in New York have experienced budget cuts due to decreased tax revenue, according to an e-mail sent to students by David A. Sonnenfeld, professor and chair of Environmental Studies. The major cause is dwindling tax revenue from New York City's financial sector, which accounts for about 20 percent of the state budget, he wrote.
"While ESF is doing everything it can to minimize the effect of these budget cuts, including drawing from reserves, these cuts are having a serious impact nevertheless," Sonnenfeld said in the e-mail.
SUNY-ESF also restricted its students from taking SU's dance and physical education courses this semester. These courses typically are open to all SUNY-ESF students and are subsidized by state funding.
"We see Syracuse University as being a great partner, a great resource," Bongarten said. "It really adds to the education and social richness of our environment, and we want those students to take advantage of that opportunity. Any type of restriction on that is something I feel is extremely distasteful, and I can tell you that everyone here feels the same way."
Classes such as Wine and Beer Appreciation and Human Sexuality are no longer available to State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students - and those already enrolled found out these changes last Wednesday.
State budget cuts of up to 10 percent are to blame, and SUNY-ESF placed restrictions on what it calls "accessory instruction courses" that its students can take through a partnership with Syracuse University. The announcement was made in an Aug. 20 e-mail to students from Bruce C. Bongarten, SUNY-ESF's provost and vice president for academic affairs.
The college is also not filling vacant faculty positions and has reduced budgets for all departments, he said.
"I've used the word painful," Bongarten said. "It's very painful for me to do, and we only do it because the other choices are worse."
He added that the timing was poor, but SUNY-ESF didn't hear about the budget cuts until after students had pre-registered for the fall semester.
All state agencies in New York have experienced budget cuts due to decreased tax revenue, according to an e-mail sent to students by David A. Sonnenfeld, professor and chair of Environmental Studies. The major cause is dwindling tax revenue from New York City's financial sector, which accounts for about 20 percent of the state budget, he wrote.
"While ESF is doing everything it can to minimize the effect of these budget cuts, including drawing from reserves, these cuts are having a serious impact nevertheless," Sonnenfeld said in the e-mail.
SUNY-ESF also restricted its students from taking SU's dance and physical education courses this semester. These courses typically are open to all SUNY-ESF students and are subsidized by state funding.
"We see Syracuse University as being a great partner, a great resource," Bongarten said. "It really adds to the education and social richness of our environment, and we want those students to take advantage of that opportunity. Any type of restriction on that is something I feel is extremely distasteful, and I can tell you that everyone here feels the same way."
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