The Deficit: Fact, Facade or Fiction?
Two weeks ago, I wrote to demonstrate how history has been repeating itself for decades – terrible registration procedures, increasing tuition for deteriorating services, the immortal “insufficient funds” and inflation excuse, and all the well-known problems any AUCian has faced in this university.
My emphasis was that history does not have to repeat itself and that “a united student body is capable of change”. It is.
This week I will not talk about that. This week I will not write an “opinion”. Instead, I will ask you a few questions – I will ask you to ask a few questions.
In fall 2013, our campus reeled with the news that AUC was being slapped in the face by a then forecasted $9.7 million deficit.
(The deficit was forecast to reach about $13 million in spring 2014)
In fall 2013, Vice-President for Executive and Financial Affairs Brian MacDougall said that the university had reached measures that would generate $5 million.
At the end of fall 2013, AUC launched a ‘Commission on the Financial Crisis’, which included administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
I was on that commission; I had no faith in it even before it started.
Commissions in this university achieve nothing for us – the students are the ones who pay the cost of the constant failures and corruption.
The questions, therefore: It has been almost two years since the deficit was first announced. What happened to the measures that were supposed to generate $5 million?
More cuts and such measures take place before our eyes almost every month; where does this money go? The price of bus tickets has increased while the routes and time slots have decreased; where does this money go?
Dorm fees increased over EGP 1,000 while the number of residents of the New Cairo Campus has increased; where does this money go?
Salaries and wages are not increasing, there’s a freeze on hiring and a cap on overtime; where does this money go?
The Greek Campus has been leased for 10 years for $300,000, with an annual increment every year; where does this money go?
The period of paying parking tickets was extended from 4 p.m. to 6:30pm; where does this money go, too?
We’re paying tuition half in dollars now, and the cap of students to be admitted has been increased, so shouldn’t that generate more money, too?
How is it after all the aforementioned measures to save money and generate revenue that we still have a deficit?
Most students may not know that there’s an office dedicated to donations from alumni and parents.
Why did AUC give up the South Tahrir Farm that generated revenue? Why do we hear of increasing prices and cuts on spending but never about cuts from administrators’ salaries?
Why is every member of this community suffering from increased prices and decreased services, but we can still afford to build and beautify the bus entrance and our precious Watson House?
Who led us here and who’s responsible – where’s the mismanagement, misallocation of funds, and failure coming from?
Most importantly, how real is this deficit after all?
Yasmin Hashim
Political Science Senior
