OCR Text |
Show 19 tm imurrMr Thurtiay Maty 26, 1983 Southwick holds the purse strings by Nani Lii Staheli Accounting, financial reporting, budgeting you name it and Paul Southwick is working with it. As vice president of financial affairs at SUSC, he has the responsibility of overseeing the monetary needs of a steadliy growing institution, which is no small challenge, as this encompasses nearly every program, department and building on campus. Southwick is a native of Cedar City, and he says his most enjoyable "hobby is his family of three sons and one daughter. In September of 1967, he left public accounting for his present position. He says that his reason for accepting this responsibility is because the field of education intrigues me. Southwick enjoys SUSC because of the improvements that are taking place such as the expansion of programs, new campus buildings and facilities, and the scholastic achievements of the students, especially in forensics and as Truman Scholars. I feel that in quality were growing and progressing, he says. Its good to be a part of it. Many of these improvements can be related to the funding program. Library holdings are continually being expanded for better selection and more available volumes. Also, technological equipment in the area of computers has recently been added to many departments and programs, though Southwick feels that more is needed. As vice president of academic affairs, Southwick is very much aware of the areas that can be improved for he is accountable for keeping the trust of both the public and the legislature in managing public funds and maintaining sound finances in the college. This entails financial reporting, assisting the president in budgeting, accounting and careful purchasing. Requests made by the college must be justified to the State Legislature and Board of Regents. Thus, Southwick is both direclty and responsible for budgeting and financial results. Southwick is also the director of plant opera Committee aids with store Complaints about the bookstore may sometimes end up at a meeting of the Bookstore Committee which deals with such problems among its other functions. The Bookstore Committee is made up of the nonvoting chairman, Dennis Ohms, one faculty member from each academic school, two students; one from the senate and one other student, not involved with student government; two members of the bookstore staff, one faculty member from the faculty senate who may also serve as a representative for an academic school. The Staff Association chooses the bookstore representatives while the academic school deans choose the faculty members and the student body president appoints the two student members. Also participating in these meetings but, not necessarily involved in voting are the vice president of finance, the college accountant and the dean of students. The committee is really an advisory committee, said Ohms, It does not set policies. Basically it tries to find solutions to problems, makes suggestions and gives information to Paul Southwick, vice president of finance, who depending on the situation, in turn reports to the Institutional Council, which has the final say in such decisions as where the profit earned by the bookstore is used. One of the most recent suggestions made by the committee was to earmark some of the funds produced by the bookstore to go toward the building of new facilities for the bookstore. The idea has not been accepted yet as policy. In the past, explained Ohms, the committee has not been very active one reason being because its members schedules conflicted so that very few could attend the monthly meetings at the same day or time. V.1-: iJU.V'Oi'v. nVjiNLh vj'Ji Ji i 0 tions, which oversees the maintenance of campus buildings and the director of personnel, which includes the hiring, salaries, and employee benefits of the college staff and faculty. In all these areas, he says that the basic problem is underfunding. According to Southwick, For the salaries that we are able to pay them, we are fortunate to have the faculty we have. He also indicated that these are not enough resources for the operation of the many college programs. He would also like to see a larger base for scholarships. Overall, the problem is dealing with inflation, says Southwick. We have to make sure that the college doesnt get overcommitted to various programs for its limited resources. However, he feels that the increased investments of the college have helped to bring added revenue to the college funds. college has been energy conservation on the part of the students, staff, and faculty members. They have been very effective this year, he says. During this year, the 2.5 percent cut in government funds, which normally would have cut plant operations, did not have its predicted effect because of the money saved in energy conservation. However, with the increased cost of the colleges various functions, says Southwick, priorities must be carefully made. We try to monitor the funds through the academic vice president, the dean or the president, but priorities are the job of everyone. We must be careful that the money we do spend keeps the educational process going. Another significant asset to the Bookstore operation has ups, downs (continued from page brunt of blame for 1) a mistake and they naturally become somewhat defensive. Im concerned about that kind of thing, said Ohms, who explained that employees are given suggestions and training on how to deal with customers, but still it something that always has to be worked at. One staff member also remarked that although the bookstore is successful in that it is doing well financially, it still could be doing better. Using sharper marketing techniques and more creative orginization of sale items could bring in more money. Although the size of the facilty does create limitations in these areas, still improvements could be made to enhance the atmosphere, making it more conducive by being more attractive to customers. Ohms said that they do have one employee knowledgable in these areas. Additional training for this individual is being planned. Lack of time is also a factor here as the small staff cannot accomplish all that they would like to do. Mispricing of items in the bookstore occures from time to time, although not often, according to Ohms. It has happened in at least two instances this year with textbooks. When items have been overpriced, students have had money refunded to them to correct the mistake, however; when items are accidentally under-price- d it is virtually a guaranteed loss. It happens with other stores like it happens with ours, said Ohms. Some students have noticed that such magazines as Time and Newsweek cannot be purchased on campus. Ohms explained that the bookstore receives its magazines through a magazine jobber, which could be compared to a wholesale company. The first order of magazines from the jobbCT were determined through, a. . tyU survey among students and staff members three years ago. Magazines which do not sell are returned to the jobber. The jobber then determines by the returned magazines and the tester magazines it sends out, which magazines it will send the bookstore. Im not very happy with it, said Ohms, but he said that going through the jobber was the best way to minimize losses. Several faculty members have commented on the number of textbooks they order being reduced by the bookstore. Thus, they have students without books at the first of the quarter. Ohms explained that the bookstore reviews the past number of enrolled students in a class to determine if the instructors request is fairly accurate. If too many textbooks are ordered that means the bookstore loses money. Ohms has set up what he calls the guarenteed textbook program to solve the problem when texts are The bookstore will, after a student pays for the text, make copies of reading assignments for them, until the additional books come in. Despite the problems, the bookstore is a successful operation, that has helped the college financially in many instances. It has been a source of added revenue for other areas on campus, said Vice President of Finance Paul Southwick. The profits of the bookstore have helped out other campus auxiliary. At one time funds generated from the bookstore made it possible for housing to purchase new beds for the dorms. Another time, an unexpected and high jump in gas left the physical plant with little money to pay for heating. Money from the bookstore covered the additional cost. We dont expect or intend to make a profit on the textbooks, said Southwick. The k items, where the profit; is.jmade, recfiye fitapdd. markup, , , .J.'s errors tn A M novt n .rnsvov? under-ordere- non-boo- |