University officials keep students in the dark by denying FOIAs
Transparent — an adjective, with origins dating back to 1375, that describes something as “easily seen through, recognized, or detected.”
Or, in the case of an organization and its activities, “open to public scrutiny.”
The latter definition of this word has virtually packed its bags and left the Central Michigan University playbook.
Last week, CM Life submitted 14 Freedom of Information Act requests for the 3, 6 and 9 percent budget reduction recommendations for various CMU offices, colleges and units. These recommendations were sent to interim University President Kathy Wilbur for her consideration.
All of them were rejected in one e-mail over the weekend.
The university claimed these records were exempt under Section 13(1)(m) of the FOIA, as “communications and notes within a public body ... of an advisory nature to the extent they cover other than purely factual materials and are preliminary to a final agency determination of policy or action.”
CMU also gave the same language it provided last week in rejecting our FOIA request for the budget reduction suggestions sent to the Senior Staff Budget Advisory Group over the last few months: “Disclosing records of those communications would prevent University officials and employees from meaningfully engaging in challenging and deliberate discussions on a complex issue.”
It is as if, somehow, the idea of putting information in the open for students, faculty and staff to see was thrown out a fourth-story window.
The CMU budget is the big story of the semester, and these cuts for the coming fiscal year will affect every person affiliated with this university, especially the little guys (the students).
Some parts of the discussion are touchy and understandably kept quiet (namely possible layoffs). But it is irresponsible for CMU to attempt to completely close the door on these talks and let the higher-ups decide what isn’t important enough.
These are the same sort of people that, early last fall, paid $500,000 for practice turf in the Indoor Athletic Complex (a decision that affects hundreds) and cut $80,000 by shaving computer lab hours in Grawn and Woldt halls (a decision that affects only thousands).
Other landmark Trustees decisions — namely the approval of the $24-million medical school and President-designate George Ross — were left off meeting agendas and announced as if they were pulled from a magician’s hat.
The gap between administration and students needs to close and the lack of transparency needs to stop. CMU should spend more time listening to the people it will greatly affect in the coming months: the students. The ones that fund roughly two-thirds of the university’s operating budget.
Giving Internet users a chance to submit budget suggestions late last semester wasn’t enough. Tell the public what eliminations are being considered and give people a chance to sway your decision.
Even the little guys.
