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Monday, September 14, 2020 I Vol. 117 Iss. 6 INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER • SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904 WWW.GWHATCHET.COM What’s inside Opinions Culture Sports The editorial board Read about how Revisit men’s soccer’s calls for students to students created a first win in the NCAA focus on systemic virtual map of Foggy Tournament en route to changes to GW. Bottom this summer. the 1989 Sweet 16. Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Undergraduate enrollment falls nearly 25 percent Faculty Senate urges as officials finalize ‘second phase’ of budget cuts officials to maintain ZACH SCHONFELD officials sought to reduce CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR the undergraduate popula- faculty salary increases tion by 20 percent over five years. Officials released ISHA TRIVEDI ecutive committee, about the Officials said under- early and regular decisions ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR hire, but at this point it is not graduate enrollment fell in February and March a discussion that he wants to nearly 25 percent this year before the full onset of the The Faculty Senate passed have “in a public meeting.” based on preliminary esti- pandemic but later admit- a resolution Friday calling on “I understand the desire mates, requiring a “second ted hundreds of students officials to maintain salary for an open dialogue with phase” of budget cuts in the from the waitlist through increases for promoted fac- the full senate,” LeBlanc said. coming weeks. the summer to increase en- ulty members. “There’s a limit to my ability University President rollment levels. Officials chose not to to do that.” Thomas LeBlanc said at raise salaries for promoted Senators also nominated a Faculty Senate meeting Financial impact faculty members as part of Sarah Wagner, a faculty sena- Friday about 9,100 under- LeBlanc said the enroll- efforts to relieve the finan- tor and an associate professor graduate students are en- ment drop, based on current cial impact of the COVID-19 of anthropology, and Elisa- rolled this fall, which fell estimates, would reflect a pandemic, but the resolution beth Anker, an associate pro- short of officials’ target by nearly $76 million budget states that officials have only fessor of American studies roughly 1,000 students. The impact. He said officials saved $500,000 from denying and political science, to the loss in tuition revenue from are projecting a decrease of these increases. The senate appointment, salary and pro- decreased enrollment is undergraduate and gradu- also voted to task a commit- motion policies committee, largely driving GW’s bud- ate tuition dollars by $46 tee with vetting University the group that will meet with get shortfall, which is now million and $17 million, re- President Thomas LeBlanc LeBlanc privately to discuss estimated to be $180 mil- spectively, and about a $10 for hiring an administrator Swain’s hiring. lion on an annualized basis, million increase in financial with ties to the Larry Nas- The senate also nomi- LeBlanc said. aid. sar sexual abuse scandal last nated Majeda El-Banna, the He added that estimates GW’s financial projec- month. chair of the community of will continue to change un- tions assume classes remain The resolution on faculty acute and chronic care de- til the “benchmark date” in online for the entire aca- salaries states that if officials partment in the School of early October, which is used demic year, which removes aren’t able to provide pay in- Nursing, to the fiscal plan- for official enrollment data about $100 million in hous- creases when a professor is ning and budgeting commit- and revenue statistics. ing revenue, LeBlanc said. promoted in light of the on- tee. “Given the fluid nature He said officials are going financial crisis, it must Senators also passed a of the pandemic and its ef- completing the first phase be provided “retroactively to resolution of appreciation of fects on the University, as of budget cuts, which will that date as early as possible.” the former chair of the sen- we expected and repeat- reduce expenses by roughly SIDNEY LEE | GRAPHICS EDITOR The resolution also states that ate’s executive committee, edly tried to remind folks, $100 million and be com- if salary increases must be Sylvia Marotta-Walters. The our estimate will always be pleted within two weeks. it’s clear that we need to take students requested deferrals delayed, they should still be resolution cites her “remark- evolving until we finally get The cuts include a suspen- additional mitigation steps,” awarded before increasing able record of major accom- to the benchmark,” LeBlanc for enrollment and leave of sion of most capital projects LeBlanc said at the meeting. absences compared to last compensation for any non- plishments” in her 13 years said. “But as of now, we and hirings, salary freezes He said officials will promoted faculty member serving in the senate and her have a much better idea of year, and “hundreds” more and staff layoffs. likely make final decisions students are now attending and should be a “competi- three years as chair of the ex- fall enrollment and tuition LeBlanc added that offi- about the second phase of tive” increase compared to ecutive committee. revenue because we’ve actu- GW part time, he said. cials have laid off about 250 cuts in the next week. The LeBlanc said more than GW’s market basket schools. “The Faculty Senate of ally passed the deadline for staff members, who had an phase already includes sus- “This year, for the first the George Washington Uni- paying your bills.” 600 upperclassmen chose average salary of roughly pensions of the University’s not to return this fall amid time in anyone’s memory, the versity hereby expresses its Undergraduate enroll- $75,000. At the meeting, Pro- base and matching retire- letters of promotion have not deepest admiration, appre- ment dipped by about 24 the pandemic. He said 175 vost Brian Blake confirmed ment contributions for em- international students were included any rise in salaries,” ciation and gratitude to Pro- percent from last year, when the layoffs include some ployees beginning Oct. 1. the resolution states. “The fessor Sylvia Marotta-Walters about 12,031 undergraduate not able to or chose not to Center for Career Services “We built in fairly con- enroll, and the University faculty believe that they have for her distinguished ser- students enrolled, accord- employees. servative projections so I a code-prescribed right to ap- vice,” the resolution states. ing to institutional data. enrolled 220 fewer new do- Officials have repeat- don’t see it getting much mestic students this year propriate increases.” Provost Brian Blake also The estimated enrollment edly declined to answer The worse than this,” he said. Senators also chose to outlined his priorities for his drop, which is the sharp- based on current estimates. Hatchet’s questions about LeBlanc added that “There is some gap there refer a resolution censur- time as provost that he said est annual decline in recent layoffs in specific offices. there have been no discus- ing LeBlanc for the hiring he usually puts forward on memory, is still less than the as well even though we had The layoffs include dozens sions among administrators a higher enrollment than of Heather Swain back to a his 90th day in a new posi- 30 percent enrollment tum- of employees in IT offices, about laying off tenured separate committee. The mo- tion. He said his priorities, ble that officials originally last year,” Blake said. the career center, facilities or tenure-track faculty. Of- Blake said the graduate tion directs the committee to which he derived from his estimated as part of remote and event departments. ficials have discussed tem- meet with LeBlanc in a closed participation in last year’s instruction budget projec- population increased this “Even with our revised porarily reducing faculty year by 1.3 percent, which is meeting to discuss the details strategic planning effort, in- tions in May. enrollment projections as salaries, he said. of the hiring. clude “identifying diversity Prior to the pandemic, just under half of the 3 per- positive as they are today, “We talked to the sen- cent increase officials had Faculty, staff and students in our academic programs,” ate leadership and Board originally anticipated. Of- have criticized officials for which he called his “top pri- of Trustees, but no decision ficials held graduate tuition hiring Swain as the vice pres- ority,” and addressing ques- has been made,” LeBlanc steady this year, which led ident of communications and tions of “academic priorities” said. to an annual budget short- marketing due to her involve- after the pandemic subsides. fall in graduate tuition. ment in the Nassar case as an He said he is still looking Enrollment drop He added that the “big- administrator at Michigan for feedback on these plans Provost Brian Blake said gest piece” to enrollment State University. but has shared a draft of undergraduate registration changes this year is a drop LeBlanc was not present at them with LeBlanc, the deans is “down” 7.2 percent overall, in the international popula- the meeting during the vote. of the schools, the senate’s and non-degree registration tion by 916 students – 253 He said earlier in the meet- executive committee and his – which includes exchange undergraduates, 556 gradu- ing that he has been having office’s staff. students – decreased by 31 ates and 107 non-degree stu- “a discussion” with Arthur SIDNEY LEE | GRAPHICS EDITOR percent. About 400 more dents. Wilson, the chair of the ex- See COST Page 4 Colonials Weekend to be held virtually, feature auction AMY LIU The weekend will also events but will likely be STAFF WRITER include an update from here to stay even as the University President Thom- pandemic wanes.