Dylon Harrison

Managing Editor

How has the university been dealing with the budget deficit?

Last Spring, ISU went through a comprehensive effort to balance the budget. Through that process, the University was able to identify almost $12 million in budget reductions to take place over two years. The primary goal in making these adjustments was to limit any impact to students and student services. Moving forward we will continue to focus on recruitment and retention, while also looking for opportunities for increased efficiency, to further stabilize our financial situation. We are about to undergo another University-wide budget setting exercise. The goal is not reductions, but instead through a collaborative approach, we will set next year’s budget and make sure we are on track to meet our targets.

Is the university on track to correcting the budget deficit?

Our budgeting process is ongoing, but through our efforts both last year and moving forward, I believe we will be able to continue to meet our goals as an institution- supporting our students and offering a quality education.

How do you feel about the university’s COVID response last semester?

First and foremost, we were able to continue our mission- educating our students. Our faculty pivoted quickly and efficiently to find the right methods to offer quality learning in new formats. I have been impressed and grateful to see such great compliance to public health mandates, including the use of cloth face coverings. It was the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff that helped to keep our campus safe last semester. Our Bengal community came together, and I couldn’t be more proud of what all of you accomplished.

Will anything be changed or improved about the COVID response this semester?

In terms of classes and campus life, our COVID response remains the same. We continue to require our campus community to follow health protocols, such as physical distancing  and the use of cloth face coverings. We continue to offer classes in a variety of formats, including in-person and distance-based, to meet student needs. Our biggest change this semester is our new mandatory screening program. Students, faculty, staff and community members with a regular physical presence on campus will undergo two screenings at the beginning of this semester. The screenings are not meant to replace our public health protocols. They are simply another method of limiting the spread of the virus on campus.

What is the likelihood that the Spring Commencement Ceremony will be happening?

At this time, we are still focused on planning an in-person ceremony that will celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. But it is too early to make any promises.  We are closely monitoring the situation and will make a final decision by March 1. We want to provide our graduates and their families enough notice if the ceremony is scaled back or moved to a virtual format. Updates will be emailed to graduates and posted on the commencement website.

Have you received the COVID vaccine, and will you encourage ISU community members to take it?

I have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine. However, when it is made available to me, I absolutely will get vaccinated. I will get my vaccine in the normal course of planned distribution along with others in the same category. Vaccination will be a powerful tool that allows us to return to normal. However, it will require members of our community to trust in the public health experts, scientists, and governmental agencies that have certified that it is safe. I personally trust their expertise, the science that they have reviewed, and believe vaccination is our best path forward to safe lives and end the pandemic.