OpinionsEditorials

It’s more than the law school

Mandatory budget cuts. Hiring freezes. Delayed pay increases. Canceled awards ceremonies. Things are tough all over the state of California, and the same is true for the University of La Verne.

While nobody is trying to suggest the University is on the brink of collapse, it is apparent our resources are limited. The decision makers in Woody and Founders Hall certainly have the University’s best interests at heart. Wisely, they are looking at what is best for the school in the long run.

Such as building a first-rate campus center and pursuing an ambitious master plan that will expand the campus in scope and scale.

Enduring the rigorous accreditation process from the American Bar Association for the law school, which would attract many more students and put ULV on the map as one of the only such schools in Southern California.

But let’s not forget today. Unfortunately, many departments – and ultimately the students – are bearing the brunt of these decisions. Fewer dollars translate into a direct impact on the student experience at ULV. Today.

If we are going to make sacrifices at the expense of current students, let’s do it for the right reasons. Which brings it back to the law school. The accreditation process has become a monetary black hole that throwing more money at does not seem to be helping.

It’s obvious now that the third attempt is not going to succeed. The optimism of “third time’s a charm” is replaced with the wisdom of “three strikes, you’re out.” Millions of dollars later, new faculty, new facilities and a new dean touted as the magic bullet for the problem later, still no accreditation.

One example: $6 million was spent to develop a world-class library for the law school, in the second of three failed bids for accreditation.

This to address only one of the 55 criteria evaluated by the ABA. Meanwhile, the budget of every department except the law school has been cut to make up for the $3 million revenue shortfall from this year and another $2.9 expected for next year. This library alone, a small part of the total accreditation seeking process, is going to cost $630,000 just to maintain next year. For less than 200 students compared to the Wilson Library, which the other 1,300 of us use.

At what point does the school cuts its losses and reconsider priorities?

Perhaps the plans and priorities of the administration are truly for the best. But that brings us to the recurring theme that frames many of these issues. Who knows for certain?

If the perceptions of the faculty, students and even the Campus Times are off-base, it is the fault of a communication vacuum.

Communication on a cross-institutional level has broken down. A culture of us-versus-them has developed, which has no place at a University like ours.

Short of actually bringing different groups into the decision making processes, our administrators should do a better job of articulating those that they make.

Opinions and perceptions can be changed, and with a clearer understanding of our motives and direction, many will rally to the cause and feel less enmity over the sacrifices they are asked to make.

The internal perception of the University has soured for many faculty, and for better or worse, their attitudes percolate out into the student body, further affecting their experience.

Nobody wants to see forced smiles day in and out, but the University is obviously in an identity crisis and uncertain of its direction.

One thing is certain.

The closer the University is operated like a top-down, hierarchical corporation, the more it loses that which makes it unique. And the finest Student Center in the world will not help that.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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