With new security measures tightening budgets for 2006, some Hopkins faculty members are calling for a reevaluation of Hopkins's decentralized budgeting system, and for more transparency from administrators.
"The budget system at Hopkins is funded by the occupants of the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and the School of Professional Studies and Business Education," said James McGill, senior vice president for finance and administration.
Adam Falk, interim dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, pointed out that Hopkins differs in this respect from most of its peer institutions, which generally operate from a central budget. With a centralized budget, all divisions of a university receive budget allocations from a central fund.
The budget structure has come under fire recently due to the increased cost of security measures to be implemented on the Homewood campus.
Instead of raising revenue itself, Professor Matthew Crenson, chair of the political science department, would like for the School of Arts and Sciences to receive support from other areas of the University.
Under the current system, each division of the University must send a percentage of its revenues to the central administration. Since 1994, that tax has risen from two percent to four percent.
Crenson expressed concerns about this "continually rising" trend, projecting a $4 million deficit by next year.
Along with the increased cost of financing campus security at Homewood, the administration has decided to implement a new accounting system entitled HopkinsOne.
According to Crenson, the $186 million price tag of HopkinsOne has taken a toll on the quality of the undergraduate experience.
Robert Kargon, a professor in the history of science and technology department, agreed with Crenson.
"I am concerned that money is being found for non-academic purposes but is more difficult to come by for teaching and research," Kargon said.
Kargon is also disappointed that donations to the University will be put towards funding such programs as HopkinsOne instead of directly financing education.
Both Crenson and Kargon are calling for increased transparency within the central administration. Crenson is skeptical of the salaries of members of the administration, speculating that "part of students' tuition dollars go to what goes on in Garland Hall" instead of directly financing the academic departments.
"I would like to see an open audit of the administration," Kargon said. "Students should have the right to know where all their tuition money is going."
Paula Burger, dean of undergraduate education and vice provost, defended the system.
"It distributes the cost somewhat in proportion to the need for services," Burger said.
She explained that electricity and land expenses are funded the same way as campus security - each division pays a portion of the cost based on the square footage that they occupy.
Burger disagreed with Crenson's belief that the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences would benefit from support from other University divisions.
"I don't know an alternative that wouldn't make a disproportionality fall on one school," Burger said.
Crenson suggested that the Krieger School is as crucial to the University's image and culture as the medical school, but said that the central administration regards it as a lesser part of the University.
While Crenson thinks it is a problem that "central administration doesn't generate revenue," Falk reiterated Hopkins' position as a non-profit institution. "One way or another, the money we take in is spent on our mission," Falk said.
Regarding the question of whether decreased funding will have a detrimental effect on the programs in the Krieger School, Falk said, "It certainly puts pressure on other divisions."
However, he pointed out that "we always have many more places we would like to spend money. Any additional resources available to the school would be put to use in any number of ways."
Falk added that the Krieger school does not plan to make any direct requests for funding from other divisions.
"It should be appreciated that the East Baltimore schools have their own security costs," he said.
Still, Falk maintained that "there is an indirect contribution that is being made by the East Baltimore division," which is demonstrated by the fact that many of their students choose to live in Charles Village.
However, he said that "they don't have a stake in the security of the freshman dorms."
While both Crenson and Falk agreed that security will improve through the construction of more dormitories, Crenson argued that apart from that, the new measures taken have seemed "mostly cosmetic."
Recalling that the most serious crimes occurred in private residences, he said that the most recent developments, which concern University housing, "do not have much to do with the crimes we're facing."
Falk acknowledges that improving campus security will be "an ongoing challenge" to both the academic and administrative realms. However, he stresses, it will remain a priority: "What we want is a safe campus."
