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With an 86-71 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes on Mar. 8, the men’s basketball team cemented their fourth consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) title. The Rockets ended the regular season with an overall record of 20-11, 14-4 in the MAC. On Mar. 14, in the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament, the No. 8 seed Golden Flashes got their revenge on the No. 1 seeded Rockets, handing UT a 67- 59 loss at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. All five Rocket starters were honored by the MAC. Junior Ra’Heim Moss earned First-Team All-MAC honors and juniors Tyler Cochran and Dante Maddox Jr. received Second-Team All-MAC honors. Cochran was named the MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Moss was also named to the MAC’s All-Defensive Team. This is the first time in school history that two Rockets were named to the All-Defensive team. Javan Simmons was unanimously named MAC Freshman of the Year. Simmons and Sonny Wilson were both named to the MAC’s All-Freshman Team.

Toledo will see a partial solar eclipse from 1:56 to 4:26 p.m. on Apr. 8, with a total solar eclipse beginning at 3:13 p.m. Totality should last around 90 seconds. The last time Toledo experienced totality during an eclipse was 218 years ago in 1806, and the next time won’t be until 2099. UToledo’s Ritter Observatory will be hosting several events leading up to the eclipse. Until Apr. 5, every Friday at 7:30 p.m. there will be an informational program on eclipses. Until Apr. 6, every Saturday will feature a more child-oriented event at 1 p.m. that will include arts and crafts activities relating to the eclipse, such as eclipse glasses. On Apr. 8, half of the Glass Bowl Stadium will be open for a viewing of the progression of the eclipse between noon and 6 p.m. In the stadium, people will be able to view on the jumbotron an image of the eclipse through the UT telescope, a filter overlaid to avoid causing eye damage to viewers. If the UT telescope is unable to capture a clear view of the eclipse, NASA’s telescope of the eclipse will be projected instead. Surrounding the eclipse itself, there will be informational videos and activities out on Centennial Mall, with food trucks, games, music, and student organizations tabling. Eclipse glasses will be distributed to students through the library, residence halls, and other UT offices, however, there is a limited supply, so glasses will be first come first serve. Dr. Michael Cushing, professor of Astronomy and Physics and director of the Ritter Planetarium, described the eclipse as “when the moon gets in between the Earth and the Sun, and so the Moon blocks the Sun out. Another way to think about it is the Moon is always casting a shadow into space because it’s been lit up by the Sun. If the Earth happens to move into that shadow, you see an eclipse… You see this sort of ghostly halo around the Sun. So, it’s a very primordial sort of reaction that we have.” What sets this eclipse apart from others is that it will reach totality for people in portions of Ohio, including Toledo. “A total eclipse is when the moon lines up perfectly, blocking out the entire Sun, and that is only on a narrow strip of about 100 miles on the surface of the Earth,” Cushing said. While eclipses are not particularly rare, where they can be viewed on earth is what makes them unique. “It takes hundreds of years [for an eclipse to be viewed in totality in the same area] … in principle, they can happen every six months, depending on where the moon is in orbit, but sometimes it’s in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and you don’t see it. The ‘total’ part is very rare just because it’s only 100 miles.” Eye safety of the viewer is one concern Dr. Cushing raised, stating, “when the Moon moves totally in front of the Sun and everything gets dark, you can take a glimpse [with your] glasses off and you can look directly at it, that’s safe, but the moment it starts to move off, be careful again because it’ll start hurting your eyes eventually.” To avoid potential eye damage from this eclipse, Cushing suggested the use of pinhole cameras. “The easiest one is just getting a pasta strainer with a bunch of holes and hold it up to the direction of the sun. On the ground, you will see a bunch of little crescent suns because each hole acts like a camera and will project an image of the Sun on the ground.”

Toledo Women’s basketball has been a staple at UToledo for generations. In the past 43 seasons, they tallied a record of 850-471. Those 850 wins are the most in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 1982. The next closest is Bowling Green with 813. Tricia Cullop, who was hired by UT in 2008, was a big part of that success. In Cullop’s 16 seasons as the UT head coach, she amassed 522 wins, made the NCAA tournament twice, winning the NIT tournament once. When she announced in April that she was leaving to take the head coach job at the University of Miami, a sense of loss was evident across campus and beyond. But administrators and fans alike were thankful she stayed for as long as she did. “We were extremely fortunate to have her for as many seasons as we did,” said Nicole Alderson, executive associate athletic director. “She was a phenomenal coach, but she was an even better person.” Sadness aside, Toledo had to mount a search for a women’s basketball coach for the first time in 15 years. The school started with a list of more than 30 candidates, and it narrowed down quickly. Ginny Boggess, head coach at Monmouth University in New Jersey, was on that list. In the 2020-21 season, Monmouth won only two games, their worst showing in school history. Then they hired Boggess. Under her leadership, just two years later, they won their conference and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1983. Fast forward to spring 2024. Coach Boggess was on vacation in Florida when she was contacted about the pending vacancy at UToledo. She did a Zoom interview with Toledo officials, and the next day, left her vacation early to meet with them in person. Toledo hired Boggess on Apr. 9, just 4 days after Cullop left for Miami. While the process was quick, Alderson feels like they got the best coach out there. “It wasn’t about male, female, age, it was about who is the best candidate that’s going to take care of our student athletes and continue the success, build upon the success we’ve already had,” she said. While there is a new coach, Alderson says the expectations don’t change. “She’s not coming here to maintain; she’s coming here to elevate.” Boggess was head coach at Monmouth for three seasons. In her last season at Monmouth, Geoff Lanier joined her staff as an assistant coach and followed her to Toledo to be her Associate Head Coach. Lanier, who will be entering his 34th year in coaching, said the decision was easy to come to Toledo with Coach Boggess after talking with his wife. “I enjoyed my year so much with coach at Monmouth that it was a fairly simple process,” he said of Boggess. “She has a unique ability to take a group, get them focused on a common goal, and get them all pulling them in the same direction faster than anyone I’ve ever worked with,” Lanier said. Toledo is bringing back eight players from last year’s team and welcoming six freshmen. All are new to Boggess and her staff, though, so there’s learning all around during workouts. “Coach Tricia was very successful the way they’ve done it, Coach Ginny’s style is significantly different with the way we’re going to play,” Lanier said. “We’ve been spending a little bit more time on the offensive end installing those concepts.” Lanier says he is the de-facto defensive coordinator for Boggess and that Boggess is fantastic at drawing up offensive plays and getting good shots for her team. “She’s able to see what they’re taking away and figure out where the weakness is and take advantage of that weakness,” Lanier said. Lanier says the type of person she is stands out the most. He asked himself if he would want his daughter to play for Coach Boggess, and the answer was an affirmative “no question.” “She’s not just a great basketball coach, she’s a better person."

The decision over the summer to move the management of the Student Union, Student Recreation Center, and Residence Halls from Student Affairs to Auxiliary Services may lead to noticeable improvements, officials said. “We want to do things like repainting and adding technology upgrades,” said Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Brian Kulpa. “[Student Union technology] has been woefully invested in for many years. A lot of these rooms are nice but haven’t been updated with technology. Students are demanding technology to make this a better experience [so] technology is what we’re really trying to push.” “We’re trying to raise the standard here,” said Mark Brooks, director of student union and building services. “We’re trying to upgrade some of the meeting rooms with monitors and technology so we can interface from place to place.” Brooks said they would be studying “peer school student unions to see what they’re doing to stay cutting edge and look at what the students want. We plan to get survey data from Student Government this year.” “We want to see more student activity here in the Student Union. We’re taking steps now to upgrade the South lounge … the new elevator going in will be a good thing for [students] too, and the second-floor restroom was renovated,” Brooks said. “They’re small steps, baby steps, but babies grow, right?” Other projects Kulpa hopes his division will tackle in the coming years include several deferred or preventative maintenance items. “We’re trying to put together a wish list, for example, the building needs a new roof,” Kulpa said. “We’re looking at the [auditorium], looking at replacing the flooring because so many orientations are in there. It’ll take some time, it’ll take some planning because everybody wants to use it.” The number of students living on campus and purchasing meal plans has decreased over the past several years, leading to a decrease in funds for projects such as those currently being undertaken by auxiliary services. In the 2024 spring semester, UT reported an enrollment of 13,951 students, with 1,976 living on campus and 2,175 purchasing meal plans. Conversely, in the 2017 spring semester, UToledo had an enrollment of 19,221 students, with 2,886 living on campus and 3,850 purchasing meal plans. This steady decline has led to a decrease in funds, so UToledo has been hosting various events on campus to supplement lost revenue. “So how do you keep funding all these things, bringing the right services to students? We want to get things really focused on students, but with less and less money. That gets harder and harder,” Kulpa said. “So, you try to look at bringing events to campus – concerts or weddings or camps. People to utilize the space when students aren’t using it during the summer.” “We’ve got people reaching out to us [to host] a lot of camps: band camps, soccer camps, athletic camps, pharmacy camps … getting potentially prospective students here to see the campus,” he said. This shift towards funding university spending through hosting alternative events on campus is not exclusive to UToledo, with both Bowling Green State University and Vanderbilt University taking a similar course of action on their own campuses, among others While Kulpa is working to help fund UToledo alternative sources of funding, he was quick to note “nothing changes from our mission and vision; it’s all about student success.”

For just $69.99 plus tax, anyone gets the chance to play football with the UToledo Rockets. When EA Sports College Football 25 was released July 19 – the first major update since 2013 – the UToledo Rockets were now part of the roster. The game is available on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Kevin Taylor, UToledo’s brand and licensing manager, has been part of the process since the beginning. “The university received initial communication from our licensing agency [Collegiate Licensing Company] about the game in January of 2021, with us agreeing to participate,” Taylor said. Taylor spent three years providing details about Toledo Football and the University to EA Sports. Over 2,000 photos of the stadium were taken in the summer of 2021. “The developers asked for various assets over the course of three years leading up to the game release,” Taylor said. The additional photos were sent in June 2023, and included Blue Crew, Rocky and Rocksy, and more of game days at the Glass Bowl. Music assets were also provided, including the school fight song and the songs the band plays throughout game day in the Glass Bowl. Prior to the release, members of the Toledo football team, Interim President Matt Schroeder, Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan Blair, and any Rocket who pre-ordered the game had a chance to play. In a statement, Blair said “the attention to detail is outstanding. The Glass Bowl and game day atmosphere really comes to life.” “We are very excited about the release of the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game and the incredible exposure it will bring to our football program and our University,” Blair said. “The game is a cultural phenomenon and it’s amazing to see Toledo once again on this amazing stage.”

The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership (OSIL), which functions under the Division of Student Affairs to provide out-of-classroom experiences for students, will now be operating under its new name, the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). “Our hope and drive as an office is to make sure each and every student finds some way to connect and engage with their fellow Rockets during their time at UT,” said Alex Zernechel, director of student engagement and campus events. Zernechel said the office began discussing the name change in fall of 2023 after considering the multiple services the office is responsible for.  “With all of the different individual functional areas our office is responsible for, we didn’t feel like our name fully encompassed everything,” he said. OSE provides services for student organizations, fraternities and sororities, involvement initiatives, leadership development, service learning, event planning, and the online Involvement Network (Invonet).  The office took a collective approach in discussing the future of the office’s name and finalized their decision in May. The summer months were dedicated to changing marketing material and office signs around campus before students returned for fall semester.  Zernechel said starting this fall, OSE will be taking a closer look at their mission statement to ensure it aligns with the goals laid out in the University of Toledo’s new strategic plan that was announced in spring 2023. Vice Provost of Student Affairs Sammy Spann said while students won’t be able to physically see the changes being made in the office, they will feel it in the shift of atmosphere following the name change. “This name change wasn’t made just to change the name on a door or a sign but it’s more of a changing of a culture, a culture shift,” Spann said. “This is a culture shift that students are going to be involved in, every step of the way.” Spann said this culture shift is one that will support diversity and inclusiveness while encouraging students to become more involved on campus.  “To all students, please come and let your voice be heard,” he said. “We want to hear the voices of students, and we want to make sure that not only do we hear it, but we find the things that we can tweak to better serve students and make that culture shift.” The Office of Student Engagement is located at SU 1532 and can be contacted by calling 419-530-4944 or emailing getinvolved@utoledo.edu

The first two installations of the University Libraries Gallery Series for the 2024-25 academic year are only available for viewing for a few more weeks. The first show is a local artist exhibition, “Life After Life,” featuring art by Steven Athanas. It runs through Oct. 16 in the south gallery of Carlson Library Athanas’ visual arts allows his imagination to move across various medias such as drawing, watercolor, and sculpture with look into the quirkiness of the English language. His work tries to allow others into his outlook on the world, with all the challenges involved. The second show, “Hindsight: Past Lives,” features the artwork of Ben Morales. It runs through Oct. 25, in the north gallery of Carlson Library. Morales’ photography strives to display the beauty and meaning of the world around us. The photographs featured in the gallery show his photographs of historic Toledo landmarks, seamlessly the past and present in tandem. Morales captures the natural and manmade environments that can be taken for granted. His goal is to connect us with the past and challenge our perceptions of the world. This year, the University Libraries Gallery Series will expand from six shows to eight shows that will be spread across two galleries in Carlson Library. The UToledo Employee Art Exhibition and Art Student Showcase are the next exhibitions in the series, starting Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 respectively.

With a pair of wins against Northern Illinois, the Toledo women’s volleyball team moves to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in MAC play. The Rockets started the season off strong, with three wins at the Binghamton Bearcat Classic in Vestal, N.Y. at the end of August. Toledo beat Bucknell 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-15, 25-23) and swept Binghamton 3-0 the first day (25-18, 25-12, 25-22). On the second day of play, the Rockets beat Merrimack 3-1 (25-11, 24-26, 25-20, 25-20) to start their season off on a three-win streak. In early September, the Cyclone Invitational in Ames, Iowa was a heavy loss for the Rockets, who fell in three matches. They lost to Iowa State 0-3 (20-25, 26-28, 17-25) in the first match of the invitational on Sep. 5, then to Illinois 0-3 the next day (9-25, 19-25, 18-25). On Sep. 7, the last day of play, the Rockets battled Wake Forest, but ultimately lost 2-3 (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15- 10). Upon their return to Savage Arena to host the Rocket Invitational Sep. 13 and 14, the women shook off the bad mojo of the Iowa tournament and returned to their winning ways. On the first day of play, the Rockets got a pair of four-set victories over Eastern Washington and Northern Kentucky in their first home games of the 2024 season. The Rockets beat EWU (25-15, 25-18, 19-25, 25-21) and NKU (24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18). On the second day of play, the Rockets swept Marshall 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-21). To finish off the last of their non-conference games, the Rockets went 1-2 at the Jackrabbit Invitational Sept. 19-21 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Rockets swept Belmont in three sets (25-15, 25-22, 15-19) to open the invitational. In a hard fought five sets on the second day of play, Toledo lost to South Dakota State 2-3 (22-25, 17-25, 25-19, 31-29, 13-15). On the final day of play, the Rockets fell to Idaho State 1-3 (20-25, 25-21, 23- 25, 18-25) despite three Rockets recording double digit kills. In the conference home opener Sept. 27, the Rockets swept Northern Illinois in three sets (25-21, 25-22, 25-18). Toledo was led by fifth-year senior outside hitter Taylor Alt, who tallied 18 kills, four digs, and an ace. Junior outside hitter Izzy Granger totaled 11 kills and 12 digs, also tying her season high with four service aces. Sophomore setter Macy Hatkevich totaled 35 assists, averaging 11.7 per set. The Rockets crushed Northen Illinois in three sets (25-18, 25-23, 25-19) on Sept. 28 in Savage Arena. Toledo was led by Granger with 14 kills and 11 digs, her second consecutive double-double and fifth of the season, and an ace. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Kayla Ozanich had a team-best five blocks, including two solo blocks while also adding seven kills. Alt added seven kills, an ace, and a team high of 14 digs. Hatkevich totaled 34 assists, as well as eight digs, two blocks, and a kill of her own. During the Rockets Invitational, Taylor Alt eclipsed 1,000 career digs, while Macy Hatkevich eclipsed 1,000 Career assists at the Jackrabbit Invitational.

Student leaders are taking issue with the University’s decision this summer to eliminate the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to disperse its functions across the University. “It’s a step back for the university,” said Marquan Denby, vice president of the Black Student Union.  Some of the functions once performed by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have been redistributed under the Office of the Provost. The change is an effort to improve success rates for marginalized and underrepresented students, officials said. According to Interim Provost Scott Molitor, the goal is to shift any academic divisions that reported directly to the president, so they now reside under the Office of the Provost, allowing them to “work together in a coordinated fashion." “This was not anything that we did in terms of political pressure. This was looking at our student success, looking at the data and saying, ‘what can we do better?’” Molitor said. The position of Vice President for the Office of DEI, occupied by Dilip Das since 2022, was eliminated. Das was not moved into another position at the University. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Some students feel that they’ve lost a key advocate with Das’ departure. BSU was one of ten student organizations to post a letter to the public on Instagram in late August. The letter states, in part, that Das’ termination has “created a palpable void” within the Black community on campus and has “left a power vacuum that undermines the university’s commitment to critical diversity issues at a time when it is desperately needed.” “There are still students’ voices that need to be heard, that was the position Dr. Das had,” Denby said. “He provided a voice for the students directly to the president. He was there to amplify the voices of students who fall under DEI.” The letter went on to demand financial transparency from the university regarding potential reallocation of former DEI resources and criticized the lack of diversity in upper administration “across various dimensions.” This creates a blind spot to the experiences and needs of marginalized students, according to the letter. “DEI is not only for African American students on campus. It is for all students that fall under DEI,” said Denby. In addition to the vice president of DEI, the university also eliminated the vice president for student affairs and the special assistant to the president for community engagement. The functions performed by those individuals also now fall under the provost’s office. Sammy Spann, who was vice president for student affairs at the time, now holds the title vice provost of student affairs and retains his title of dean of students. Valerie Simmons-Walston is now special advisor to the president for community engagement. Aleiah Jones, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Success, said she was not aware of the change before it was enacted. “It was sort of a surprise to me. But, you know, I am not in upper administration, so I’m not sure what discussions were happening beforehand,” Jones said. “I feel it’s wrong, because diversity is very important,” said Aicha Conde, a social work major. “I just think they should make everybody aware about what’s going on and keep everybody updated.” “[The Office of DEI] had a number of different initiatives and efforts, many of which are still continuing, but they really didn’t have a focus or the ability to impact student success,” Molitor said. “I believe [the proposed changes to advising, student experience, and community engagement] are going to really affect all students."

Starting this fall, Rockets will begin to see a fresh perspective on the Toledo they know. The University of Toledo has recently undergone a rebranding to connect the main campus and UToledo Health under the same brand. In the fall of 2023, the decision was made to rebrand, and in December of the same year, the University entered a $585,000 contract with Milwaukee-based firm BVK. The purpose of this contract was to conduct research including quantitative and qualitative data on the University, and to work with the University to develop the new brand. “We were really looking for an outside perspective who can come in and give fresh eyes to the things that we’re doing,” said Meghan Cunningham, vice president of marketing and communications at UToledo. Starting in January, the University and BVK began work on research, including surveys and focus groups which accounted for opinions of students, staff, and faculty as well as hospital patients, prospective students and parents, and the Ohio public. The University also conducted extensive stakeholder interviews, as well as input from student government and clinical leadership at UToledo Health. In creating the new brand for the University, Toledo has adopted the new slogan, “The Power To Do”, pulling ‘To Do’ from first two and last two letters in Toledo. This slogan will be used for the academic and clinical operations of the University, combining both under the same identity. The University also decided to refresh their secondary color palettes, using the color accent of magenta for academic operations and cyan for clinical operations. “Our colors are always going to be blue and gold. We’re the Rockets, we are blue and gold forever. But we also have secondary and tertiary palettes,” said Jen Sorgenfrei, executive director of marketing and communications. In addition to the new slogan and color palette, the University has refreshed their marketing material, including updates to both the University and Health websites, new admissions materials and billboards, and new social media templates, including updated business cards, fonts, and letterheads. The University as well as UToledo Health have also filmed multiple commercials and promotional videos to highlight the rebranding and the adoption of both sides of UToledo under the same brand. These videos were filmed at the end of June, and featured UToledo students, staff, and alumni. The videos can be found on social media, streaming services, and the Health and University websites. These various videos will be shown throughout the state, targeting local areas for healthcare, as well as parent influencer and prospective student audiences for academics. “I think it’s a step in a great direction… but I think that the traditional blue and gold are a better color palette,” said UToledo sophomore Makayla Richardson. The University has researched and received feedback on the rebrand, and according to Meghan Cunningham and Jen Sorgenfrei, initial reactions have been positive. “We’ve received really positive feedback about the brand, particularly those engaged on the healthcare side are excited to see them so well connected to the university side,” Cunningham said. The rebranding is far from simple, and new materials must be adopted to be up to brand standards for the University and UToledo Health, as well as general upkeep for the new brand and filtering through of old brand materials, which will take time and resources. According to the University, the additional investment for advertising assets which included the video and photoshoots, television commercials, and digital, print, and outdoor billboard materials was $1.3 million, funded by both the university and the hospital. These materials and cost are for both the University and UToledo Health, and will continue to be used for a few years. This step in a new direction for Toledo will affect both academic and clinical operations, and Rockets can begin to familiarize themselves with UT’s new look. “We are telling the story of who UToledo is,” Cunningham said.

Top Shelf, a chain of Ohio Liquor stores, has opened a new location at 3303 Dorr St., in the building that used to house Campus Pollyeyes. The restaurant closed its doors in March and Top Shelf opened Aug. 23. Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) is a unique public/private partnership that works to ensure “the safe and fair distribution of high-proof liquor” across the state. It funnels profits from the sale of liquor to economic development initiatives in Ohio, according to the OHLQ. One of the store’s closest neighbors is the University of Toledo Public Safety Center, right across the road. UT’s top cop, Chief of Police Rod Theis, doesn’t expect any issues with the new business on the edge of campus. “I do not feel it will create any type of issue for the campus or campus community,” Chief Theis said. “I typically do not comment on businesses or property not associated with the university.” The chief ’s assessment was shared by at least one UToledo professor. “I don’t think it’s going to have a big difference,” said Dwight Haase, a sociology professor on campus. “My understanding is that with younger generations, they’re consuming less alcohol and more of other substances. “If people are accessing alcohol, they’re already doing it anyway,” he added. Reaction from students was philosophical. Eighteen-year-old film and video major Natalia Wilson has not visited the store, and quipped “I just know it’s there – like heaven.” Cam Taraszka, a 21-year-old marketing major, didn’t think the proximity of the liquor store would have any impact on campus culture. “Truthfully, no. I think it’s inevitable that college kids are going to be drinking,” they said. “If people want alcohol, they’re going to get alcohol. The OHLQ operates under the auspices of the Ohio Department of Commerce, and “advocating for responsible consumption is always [their] top priority.” Top Shelf has state oversight and provides several support resources on their website for those struggling with substance abuse at ohlq.com .

The Board of Trustees in June approved an $844.6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which started July 1 and ends June 30, 2024. It includes $348.1 million for the University, $50.7 million for auxiliary operations, and $409.5 million for the University of Toledo Medical Center. The new budget reflects a $21.8 million cut to UToledo general fund supported areas, which includes colleges. It also projects a $20.7 million decrease in revenues for the University, down from $397.8 million in FY23 to $377.1 million in FY24. Projected revenues are down due to a projected decrease in student enrollment, University officials said. Tuition is a key revenue for the University. In FY24 tuition and fees are projected to bring in $229 million while the state subsidy will bring in an additional $115.4 million. The number of students living on campus and those purchasing meal plans have fallen faster than the reduction in overall enrollment. The budget includes a 4 percent increase in meal plans and a 2.96 percent average increase in housing costs. Another issue officials had to address in the FY24 budget was an increase in expenses, due in large part to inflation. Salary increases on contractual commitments and non-bargaining unit employees were other expenses that had to be considered. Sabrina Taylor, the Associate Vice President of Budget and Planning, described the challenges in reducing the budget, saying “more than 80 percent of the academic budget is people.” When looking for areas to reduce budget expenses, the Office of Finance sought to preserve jobs and focus on current and upcoming job vacancies, officials said. Of the 19 people affected by the closure of the Center for Success Coaching, only three were not able to find employment elsewhere within the University. Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Meghan Cunningham, expressed optimism about an increase in new enrollment numbers as well as larger retention numbers. Taylor said the budget is a “very big and comprehensive budget,” and encouraged those who read it to “keep an open mind and think about the big picture.” The University budget is a collaborative effort across the institution, officials said. Budgets start at the department level, are then sent to deans and directors, who in turn get approval from the Provost or their area’s Vice President. These approved budgets are then sent to the finance office to be combined into the master budget which gets sent to the Board of Trustees for their review and approval.