Residence Life needs to rethink their Spending
The Department of Residence Life here at NDSU needs to seriously rethink the ways they are spending their money. This is in reference to the 8 percent budget increase that they are again asking the on campus residence to pass again this year.
When one looks at the proposed increase and the way(s) the money would be spent, you can see that the department is looking out for the students. Putting a fire protection system in the high rises is important. However, some of their “needs” are not so important. For example:
Stockbridge hall received $32,500 to have new desk chairs. This is about $130 per chair.
Stockbridge, along with other halls, has or will receive $35,000 for new lounge furniture.
A person can state how these expenditures go directly to the students, which is true. However, some others do not.
All of the hall directors receive between $25,000 and $29,000 in wages for the 2007-2008 budgets. This may not seem like a lot of money, but it will once you see what they receive in fringe benefits. The hall directors receive free:
* Rent (they live in the halls for free)
* Water
* Electricity
* Heat
* Air conditioning (where available)
* Garbage removal
* Maintenance
* Cable television
* Internet
* Phone
* Food (20 meals a week from the dining service)
* Laundry
* Parking on campus
* ITS services
* Hall supplies (whatever the hall government owns, the hall directors can use)
* Free graduate level credits
* Medical insurance
* Vacations
When I talked to Michael Harwood, the head of Residence Life (who makes
$79,881) for this term, he said with these benefits the hall director’s wage increases to about $45,000 per year.
Some of the hall directors consider themselves teachers. Well let’s look at the facts. If we should consider the hall directors teachers, we cannot consider them college level teachers, as they do not have their master’s degree.
This means they would have to be compared to high school teachers. I do not know of many high school teachers in North Dakota, South Dakota, or Minnesota that make between $25,000 and $29,000 and get all of these benefits paid for.
When Michael Harwood became the director of Resident Life, he wanted to make the NDSU positions comparable to the region and the country salary wise. Why do we need to do this? North Dakota has one of the lowest cost of living ratios of any other state in the country.
Also, I hate to break it to everyone, but except for a select few students whom become ultra-involved in their residence life, the vast majority of students don’t interact with their hall directors on a regular basis. And there are even less who consider their hall directors teachers. When we look at this, we need to ask ourselves if hall directors are worth $45,000 a year. Do you receive this amount of benefit from your hall director?
This is one of the ways that the Department of Residence Life overspends its money. Is there a need for a budget increase? Possibly. Is there a need for an 8 percent increase? No. There is most certainly not a need for a budget increase when our hall directors are over-compensated.
What can you do about it? You can voice your displeasure at your hall government meetings and you can encourage others to vote against the 8 percent budget increase when it comes to a vote within the next few weeks.
Kurt is a senior studying history and social science education.