Disharmony at EWU

EWU’s band flap provides wonderful insight into the university. The decision to eliminate the band indicated a lack of concern for students, alumni, staff and taxpayers. It shows the administration is more interested in protecting administrators’ jobs than caring for the university.

Numerous budget-saving suggestions were submitted to help combat the budget shortfall. Many pointed directly to the waste in the administration. Not one suggestion was implemented. The university is run more like a club than an institution of higher education. Friends and family of administrators receive employment in return for adding nothing to the university. We created a director for the University Recreation Center at over $70,000 per year with one person reporting to him in the building. We have another director (also at $70,000 per year) who goes on vacation and the supervisors who report to him don’t even know he is gone. How much value is he adding to the university?

I suspect Doug Clark’s column contributed to the band being reinstated. For that I thank him. Provost John Mason’s comment that robust enrollment projections mean the band will be saved are a crock. What the university really has is a robust arrogance within its leadership ranks.

Tom McArthur

Spokane