By Emily Bruzzo, Staff Writer

Published in print Nov.5, 2014

This Wednesday faculty senators are meeting in the Virginia Dare Room to discuss various issues, including a resolution submitted by Faculty Senator Susan Dennison calling for “a comprehensive review of the campus culture and decision making process.”

Possible subject matter to be discussed includes the scandal surrounding the terminations and arrests of three former UNCG employees: Lyda Carpen, Christopher English and David Wilson.

Additionally, the focus may center on a talk given Oct. 24 in the Weatherspoon auditorium by Howard Bunsis, an accounting professor from Eastern Michigan University who was sponsored by the Faculty Senate Budget Committee to shed some light on the nature of UNCG’s budget and expenditures.

The News and Record reported on the presentation Sunday, saying that recent budget and job cuts at the university might not have been necessary.

The story has some faculty senators talking. Elizabeth Keathley, a professor of music and women’s and gender studies, and faculty senator, said in an email regarding Bunsis, “This guy knows everything about university finance, and he has a lot of experience…”

She went on to say, “Since he uses actual, audited financial statements, his numbers are real, not projections, and some of the numbers are real bad, especially the amount of money we waste on athletics and a super-sized rec. center…”

Keathley continued, “UNCG should stop raising tuition and fees, stop slashing away at academics and start putting its money where it counts—teaching and learning. Bunsis shows us the evidence for that.”

Concerning discussion about Bunsis’ findings at the Faculty Senate meeting, Chairwoman Spoma Jovanovic said in a phone interview that the focus of the meeting might be on the questions surrounding UNCG’s budget, but the group will try its best to stay on topic.

With so many stories breaking in the news recently, UNCG seems to have found itself in the limelight, and faculty senators feel there is a need for discourse. “Everything we do is influenced by all of these recent events,” Jovanovic said. “There are a lot of pent-up interests about everything.”