YSU students get coal in their Christmas stockings

YSU students get coal in their Christmas stockings
EDITOR:
In the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, Dr. Sweet gave YSU students an early Christmas present. A 9.5 percent tuition increase. Can I get a gift receipt for that?
Mr. Scrooge ... er, I mean, Dr. Sweet is right, YSU does provide a high quality education. In fact it is precisely for that reason that I was able to learn that once again the students have to bear the brunt of his duplicitous budget shenanigans. In simpler terms, he blames state funding cuts for the tuition increases and then turns around and accepts a salary increase for himself and his top administrators.
It does not go unnoticed that he picked the break between fall and spring semesters to announce a 9.5 increase in tuition for summer 2003. When students are busy with holiday plans, taking a well-earned break from studies, and trying to earn some extra cash to go back to school with, it is a most opportune moment to announce yet another tuition hike without suffering what he knows is justified outrage from the student population.
Let's just look at the facts. Dr. Sweet accepted a 6 percent salary increase this year, which translated into $25,000 more into his already six-figure salary. Then he turned around and recommended an additional $100,000 in salary increases for the administrators. All of which the board of trustees wholeheartedly approved. At the same time, he is crying that the university is suffering at the hands of the state because they are cutting funding for higher education. Due to my "high quality" YSU education, I was able to deduce the hypocrisy of his actions.
Rather than acting with integrity, he tries to sell YSU as "still a good deal" compared to other competing universities. But let's take a closer look, shall we? With the tuition increase, YSU's tuition for one year is $5,472 for 12-16 credit hours. Kent State University at $6,374, University of Akron at $6,098, and Ohio State University at $5,691. These are not significantly less than YSU and if the tuition increases continue at the rate they have been, it won't be long before his "good deal" justification is invalidated.
University of Akron President Luis Proenza acted with integrity this year when he gave back his 3 percent raise to the university. When learning of his act to share the burden of budget cuts with the students and faculty, his administrators followed suit and made contributions to the university's scholarship funds. What does Youngstown State University's president do? He keeps his money, raises tuition again, and then calls on "area residents" to help fund scholarships.
KIMBERLEY SIMON
Canfield
Blame for tuition crisis belongs in Columbus
EDITOR:
Regarding Mr. de Souza's column of Dec. 8: I have opted for spending my retirement in working on a master's degree in geography at Akron. Since I am taking the courses for credit instead of auditing them under the senior guest program, I have to pay for the tuition. This has given me a close view of the realities of the tuition mess.
First, Dr. Sweet's salary. Yes, the timing was bad. The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees should not have granted that raise in salary to Dr. Sweet, and Dr. Sweet should not have accepted it but what does that $260,720 amount to? The percentages and the six figure sum look impressive, but what do they mean in absolute terms? The year's tuition of about 26 students. In 1950, state support was much better. If Youngstown had been a state school then, it would have taken the tuition of about 144 students to pay the munificent for its time salary of $26,072 per year. Today, the $25,000 raise would amount to about a $1.93 per year student tuition reduction, and might pay the salary of one full time support employee.
What does a professor do on the job? Try reading 3 to 5 page critical reports on journal articles, and grading them. This in addition to composing and grading the tests, which are essay tests, reading the graduate level research papers, sitting on committees evaluating the thesis topics and thesis defenses of the graduate students, or evaluating the program content. Then, if you are someone like Dr. John Robert White, you are off working as a forensic anthropologist helping law enforcement officials do their jobs.
Yes, it would take money to correct this mess, but the question is not "can we afford to pay for this?" It is "can we not afford to pay for this?" It is past time for our state government to stop their toadying and start leading. The alternative is Ohio landing with a dull thud at the very bottom in all categories.
Now here is where Mr. de Souza has shown himself to be out of touch with reality. When, oh when, is he, and everyone else, going to point the fingers in the right direction, toward those nitwits in Columbus? Since I graduated from Miami University in 1955, the legislature has been cutting the support given to the state schools. That it might be necessary during hard times is understandable, but they always promised to restore those cuts, and never kept those promises. The net result is that it would take more than a 100 percent increase in funds to restore that support to 1955 levels. If they had kept those promises (hah), there would be a much better margin today for absorbing the needed economies, and tuition would be about $1,500 a year. This is the real source of the tuition problems being experienced by the mother of two YSU students whose letter appeared in the Dec. 23 paper.
Both political parties are responsible for squandering some of Ohio's most important resources, the schools, the libraries, and the universities, but since the Republicans are in power, they must take the flack. Unfortunately, they seem to be more interested in passing crook-friendly legislation concerning charter schools, especially the on line versions.
JEROME K. STEPHENS
Warren
Dialysis patients need help
EDITOR:
As a health care professional, I am urging all dialysis patients to contact their congressional representatives to support the increase in Medicare reimbursement for dialysis. Otherwise, more financial responsibility will be placed on people who are already financially challenged. Most dialysis patients do not have insurance to cover their medications which can potentially cost thousands of dollars a month. Savings accounts are being whittled away bit by bit in order to support medicines and co-pays.
I have seen many patients' secondary insurances change or be phased out altogether. Choices are being made between eating and purchasing life-saving drugs. These are very trying times for most individuals who worked hard all their lives to enjoy their retirement.
Families, patients, all health care workers and other interested parties must become involved in this worthy cause. Our customers deserve the best care they can possibly receive. Without our customers, our jobs become meaningless. Without dialysis, many people will die.
Congressman-elect Tim Ryan, if you read this, do the right thing and vote for increase in Medicare reimbursement for dialysis. Help make dialysis affordable.
KATHY ROGERS, RN
Austintown