YSU Tuition relief coming, Taft says

Many say the faculty and administration pay raises came at a bad time.
By JOHN GOODWIN Jr.and IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
YOUNGSTOWN -- University students across Ohio must weather the storm of budget cuts for now, but increased funding for higher education will be a priority in the future.
That was one of the comments from Gov. Bob Taft as he made his way through a crowd of well-wishers and detractors in a Youngstown State University parking lot filled with tailgaters Saturday just before the YSU football game against Indiana State. The governor said he is sorry that funding had to be cut, which YSU officials said caused them to raise tuition.
"We want more people to go to college and we want to keep college as affordable as possible," he said.
Taft was expected to watch the game with YSU President Dr. David C. Sweet from a box in Stambaugh Stadium. The university could have a $1.8 million budget shortfall this year, partly as a result of state budget cuts and the reallocation of state funding to universities.
Sweet said he expected to talk to Taft about the budget cuts during the game.
"That is obviously a priority," Sweet said. He added that he is concerned about possible cuts in the state's capital budget, which helps to pay for classroom renovations at the university.
Hagan's criticism
State Sen. Bob Hagan, of Youngstown, D-33rd, said he thinks YSU officials and students should be "yelling and screaming" at the governor about the tax cuts.
"Instead, they welcome him on the campus," Hagan said. "[Trustees] think it's OK to be quiet because their appointing authority is the governor."
Hagan's brother, Tim Hagan, is a democrat running against Taft for governor in November.
Sweet said he plans to stress to Taft that investment in higher education is important to the state's future.
Raises
YSU officials have handed out about $2.78 million in raises this year, including $1.25 million for full-time faculty and $700,000 for classified employees. The faculty and classified employee raises came under new contracts which were negotiated in August.
YSU Trustees also gave Sweet a 6 percent raise on Sept. 25 that increased his salary from $192,000 to $203,520. On Sept. 10, Sweet issued a memo giving most of YSU's 122 full-time administrators a 3 percent raise.
Administrators who have more responsibility this year than last, such as John Habat, vice president for administration, received larger raises.
Taft said Sweet is doing a wonderful job for the university and is a great leader, but called the recent decision to grant Sweet a pay raise an "ill-timed decision." As for calls for Sweet to reject the pay raise, Taft said that decision would have to be made between Sweet and university trustees.
'Slap in the face'
Hagan, a member of the Senate finance committee, also criticized YSU officials for handing out raises while the university is facing an uncertain financial future.
"It's a slap in the face to everyone on the campus," he said.
Hagan expressed concern that a tuition increase would be needed as a result of the raises and budget cuts. He called tuition increases a "hidden tax increase."
YSU junior Melissa Padisak, wearing a Hagan for governor T-shirt, said she and many other students are upset over the decreased funding, increased tuition and pay raises. She said Sweet has not yet earned such a large pay raise.
"My tuition has gone up three times in two years and now possibly a fourth time. I feel those raises are obscene when we are in such a severe crisis," she said.
YSU tuition went up 8.9 percent this fall, the biggest one-time increase in at least a decade. Tuition also jumped 5.1 percent last fall and 5.5 percent last spring.
jgoodwin@vindy.comhill@vindy.com