School wants to increase building funding, find new dean, improve internal regulations, rules
Editor's note: This story is the final installment of a three-day look into 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒鈥檚 Law School. Monday鈥檚 story focused on internal issues within the school. Yesterday鈥檚 story looked at the deteriorating building and the stalled effort to construct a new one.
University leaders say they鈥檙e committed to fixing the beleaguered institution.
But can they do it?
A new building would cost about $85 million, and the school currently has about $25 million ready, said Student Bar Association President Philip Land. Provost Michael Amiridis and President Harris Pastides have promised a facilities decision within months. Either the school will completely overhaul the current building or begin work on a new one.
In the Blue Ribbon Panel report, 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒 was urged to 鈥渆ither paint or get off the ladder.鈥� But how it will paint is unclear. In an interview with 麻豆小蝌蚪传媒, Law School Dean Walter 鈥淛ack鈥� Pratt said it鈥檚 the responsibility of the school to convince alumni that the Legislature won鈥檛 pay for the project. Land disagrees.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to ask our alumni for more money,鈥� Land said.
Currently, the school is one of the worst funded law schools in the country. A look at its budget shows it essentially operates as a private institution, receiving almost 90 percent of its funding from tuition and fees. Its total spending for the past year was between $13 and $14 million. Almost $12 million came from the pockets of students.
鈥淭o be a top-100 law school, we need top-100 funding,鈥� Land said. 鈥淚f we want to be a top-50 law school, we need top-50 funding.鈥�
But there鈥檚 little money to be had, and an uptick in state funding isn鈥檛 expected.
Amiridis said the University will give the school鈥檚 new dean a 鈥渟tart-up package鈥� to begin new initiatives, make crucial hires and develop a plan for the school. He鈥檚 also working with the school to change the internal regulations and rules for faculty and administrators.
鈥淲e have to be more flexible, more modern, if you wish,鈥� Amiridis said. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 environment, that鈥檚 just the way it works.鈥�
The dean search is going well 鈥� extremely well, actually, Land said. That was confirmed by Amiridis. Both Land and Amiridis want a visionary leader with experience, and they鈥檙e confident the school will find one.
Land is convinced the University鈥檚 central administration is committed to fixing the problems of the Law School. His interactions with Amiridis have been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
鈥淚 encourage student activism,鈥� Amiridis said. 鈥淲hen I worry is when students aren鈥檛 talking to me and I don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going on. I can鈥檛 fix a problem if I don鈥檛 know about it.鈥�
Land said he remains committed to the school.
鈥淚t still has a great reputation in our state, and I wouldn鈥檛 go anywhere else,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though we have problems currently, I have all confidence we鈥檙e going to excel in time. It鈥檚 simply the students鈥� responsibility as well to play a part in seeing that happens.鈥�
Part II: Damaged building hurts credibility