Recap of Financial VP Jason Broge’s Town Hall

On Wednesday, Student Senate hosted its first “Hot Topic” General Assembly of the year. During Hot Topic GAs, usual business is suspended, and a guest speaker from the University administration is brought in to answer questions. This week, Ohio Northern’s Vice President for Financial Affairs, Jason Broge, came to discuss the University’s economic standing–alongside some personal questions, building rapport with the students present. Student Senate and Northern Review asked Broge about the most pertinent financial issues on our radar, and a summary of the key takeaways follows.

Ohio Northern’s Revenue

Mr. Broge was asked about the general state of Ohio Northern’s revenue relative to other colleges in the area and relative to other types of higher education institutions, such as large public research universities. Broge depicts the University’s revenue as a “two legged stool” composed of tuition and auxiliary revenue. Ohio Northern’s $200 Million endowment, much larger than many similar schools in the area, constitutes “nine to ten percent” of the University’s budget in Broge’s estimation. He also says we receive “pretty much nothing” from our affiliation with the United Methodist Church. Broge further identifies that as a private institution, ONU does not receive state aid; state-supported scholarships are tied to the student to whom they are awarded and are not received at the broad university level.

Dining Services

Dining services was also a regular topic of discussion. Broge is happy with the success of the recent opening of the 24-hour convenience outlet in WOW, saying engagement has nearly doubled in its second week of operation compared to its first. His office has received little direct feedback from students and would welcome input. Broge wishes to remind the student body that while in the C-Store, they are being video recorded from five different angles and stresses the role of personal responsibility in self-conduct.

Hours at the Northern Lights Café were cut twice last year, and Broge was asked if a return to the old schedule could be expected. Broge says the decision to cut Northern Lights’ hours of operation was based on an analysis of quarter-hour sales numbers, which exposed a significant dropoff in student patronage after 4 PM. He speculates that in the future, a Starbucks or other coffee machine might be added to the increasingly popular C-Store to compensate.

Lastly, Broge was asked about the possibility of off-campus partnerships with local restaurants. There is little interest among corporate chains such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell, but Broge says it is possible for Ada Village restaurants at some point in the future. As with C-Store expansions, these speculative predictions are largely outside Mr. Broge’s control.

Disability Services

Senate Secretary of Health and Wellness Olivia Spallinger asked about possibly building an accessibility ramp on the North (parking-facing) side of the Meyer Science Complex. Broge was also asked about the possibility of making people with disabilities eligible for Ohio Northern’s Dimension Award scholarship, which the Multicultural Development identifies as targeting “students from racial or ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented at ONU” but as general “underrepresented populations” elsewhere in Ohio Northern’s public communications. Neither item is in Broge’s control, but the feedback is well received.

Ohio Northern’s Energy Use

Energy consumption at Ohio Northern was briefly touched on, as well as its impact on University finances. Broge says the Unviersity spends around $35 Million per year on electricity. He encourages students to conserve their power consumption if they would like to help, suggesting a more moderate Air Conditioner setting as a place to start.

Tied to energy are the University’s attempts to become more eco-friendly. Broge says we have cut our Carbon Footprint by around 25% over the summer due to a “huge effort” by the University. Additionally, new windmills should be coming soon to replace the old ones. Obligations to the Unviersity’s current contractors would make alternatives difficult to identify and execute. When the original windmills were in function, Broge estimates the University drew 2-3% of its power needs from each.

Managing the Budget

Broge says several factors make managing the University’s budget difficult. For example, he cites the effect inflation has had on the cost of food services, which was also cited by President Baumann at last semester’s Town Hall. In addition, Broge notes that several student employers overran their budgets last year as a reason for more strict employment guidelines this year.

In order to combat stressors to the budget such as these, Broge says the administration is looking to “optimize” every university function possible. For example, he cites the Law Library’s recent digitization as a wise money saving decision. He appeals to Senate Advisor Dr. Adrianne Thompson-Bradshaw’s “small levers” throughout university operations.

Ohio Northern’s Financial Future

Ohio Northern is in a difficult state in the national economy. Broge says that after “weathering” the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has to make financial readjustments. In addition, Broge says, “We are very much thinking about” the higher education enrollment cliff expected to hit around 2026 due to decreased birth rates during the 2008 recession.

Despite this, Broge says, “I am absolutely” optimistic about the future of Ohio Northern. He appeals to the generosity of our donors and that “we can always get better.” Even if there might be “ebbs and flows” or “unpopular decisions” along the way, Broge sees great possibilities for ONU over ten years into the future.

All students are encouraged to attend Student Senate’s next General Assembly. Senate meets every Wednesday at 5:30 in Mactivities.