40 > 27.
At this point in our college careers, most of us already know this. But apparently, our university officials do not.
The Office of the Provost announced earlier this year that 27 new faculty members would be hired for the next school year in various departments. The original budget was set to hire 27 new professors and no more than that. However, word just came out showing us that either our university officials can’t count or, even worse, that they’re dishonest. Instead of sticking to the original budget of hiring 27 new faculty members, a number that was sent out and posted on official websites, the Office of the Provost decided to splurge on its faculty hiring initiative and hire 40 new faculty members ... without really telling anyone first.
Whether this was intentional or just a convenient accident, it was a shady move.
We appreciate that the university realizes we need more quality professors, and we’d much rather USC spend its money on good professors than on, oh say, another useless and redundant technology system. But when USC already frequently splurges a couple million from its scanty budget here and there on arbitrary things, we cannot always afford to deviate from our plans, especially when they involve pricey expenditures such as university professors. Senior professors are paid $150,000 a year. Now multiply that number by 13, the number of extra faculty hired beyond the original plan, and what do we get as the product?
Well, unless USC wants to tear up that glorious fountain and sell its pieces on eBay, the only place that money could come from is from our tuition, which would inevitably have to rise. Perhaps USC should think twice next time before it decides to “accidentally” hire more than planned.
Ultimately, the students will have to pay the difference.