Bemidji State calls for Recalibration Plan

February 18, 2011

By Kathryn Stoffels

BSU introduces $5 million budget cuts

The recalibration plan has effected some but not all

Recently, the President of Bemidji State University, Dr. Richard Hanson, announced the recalibration plan, which has already affected some students and faculty.  The recalibration plan is a $5 million budget cut for BSU.  Dr. Lisa Erwin spoke about the recalibration plan and how it is affecting the Bemidji State community.  Since Erwin is the Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment, she gave her knowledge on how the plan will repercussion. 

President Hanson and his cabinet have been working on the recalibration plan since last October.  Sara Brodeur said, “A lot of my friends and I had no idea about the plan until January.”  Not very many students were informed about the budget decrease until recently when teachers started mentioning in class.  Are the teachers and students amping up the negative effects of recalibration plan?  This should have been a bigger issue back in October and through 2010. 

A lot of the students were upset when they heard the verdict of the plan.  There are four academic programs being eliminated along with other faculty positions and sports teams.  Emily Erickson, sophomore theatre major, stated, “I’m mad that I can’t finish what I started here.  Almost halfway done, now I have to start somewhere fresh.”  She didn’t express anger toward anyone in particular, mostly toward the situation.  President Hanson has the final say in every decision that was made.    

The plan will not affect the majority of the student body because as Erwin stated, "Specifically juniors and seniors can finish their programs.”  This is profound for these students; they can finish their major at BSU, and not worry about transferring.  However, there are some who have to transfer, including Erickson.  “Wouldn’t you rather just have students stay here than having them leave halfway through their schooling?  It just makes our school look bad,” said Lindsay Morgan, whose major is not being affected, but is on the women’s golf team.  “It’s disappointing to see that the track team has to be cut, because who knows how this will affect other sports.”        

Being that there are over 65 majors to choose from, four being cut and others reduced, that is a small fraction to what BSU offers.  Linnea Asbury, a business administration major, said, "Thankfully the major I chose was not cut.  Being that business administration is so broad; I can do so much with it!"  Her and many others were not impacted directly by the plan.            

Wondering how the plan will be affecting transfers or incoming freshman Erwin propsed her ideas on what will happen to the registration in the future.  She stated, "Freshman start registration in March.  Some students may still come, but often times students end up changing their major twice or even three times."  After hearing that many students change their major, students shouldn’t transfer if they are freshman and still undecided.  Now that we have seen both sides, the plan is not as awful as people make it out to be.