I want to preface this article by saying I am proud to call myself a 49er.  Many things about living on campus don’t seem to add up, financially speaking.  I sifted through the pile of financial statements that an auditor from the State released for the 2007 fiscal year of UNC Charlotte.

I was surprised to find that UNC Charlotte has a strong financial framework, owning more than $556 million in net assets –this takes into account other entities that have a claim to assets owned by UNC Charlotte. 

That is all well and good, but when I finally arrived at the revenues section of the financial statements, I noticed that revenues for services like Residence Life and Dining.  Would it be too much to ask for if we could use more of those funds so we can live better?

Dining

It’s common knowledge that Chartwells provides dining services for UNC Charlotte, hooray!  Under “Dining” we find net revenue of $6 million.

 I urge any party that believes that RDH and Crossroads food can go without improvement to try eating at either location for a week’s time; I can say in confidence that you will change your mind.  I’m not asking for much, maybe meat with texture or some flavor; something that doesn’t make me regret paying for the meal. 

Seeing as how expenditures by vendor do not appear on the financial statements, I cannot say with complete confidence that the $6 million is money that was made off of students.  However, that number seems in line with revenues from the sale of exorbitantly marked-up products at the convenience stores on campus. 

Maybe if more consideration was given to the obvious outcry for better-quality food and more reasonable prices, students wouldn’t mind paying a convenience surcharge. 

Residence Life

The condition and appearance of some of the residence halls on campus is not in sync with the image UNC Charlotte is trying to portray.   More than $14 million was generated in net revenue for Residence Life, this is inclusive of anything and everything related to living on campus. 

When this academic year began in August, Housing and Residence Life had to resort to placing students into temporary housing.  These students had the opportunity-in the high-rises- to inhabit a huge study room with no internet access and no privacy.

The demand to live on campus is large, and it grows every year; plans are in progress to add at least one residence hall, but we need them now.  I don’t expect mountains to be moved, just to have a residence hall put up on the available land as quickly as the new Bioinformatics building and Student Union have gone up. 

A student can pay hundreds less and live in an off-campus apartment with amenities such as a bedroom wider than 8 feet.

There are so many things that need to be updated, refreshed or improved that should take priority over things such as a garden in a high foot traffic area.

Practicality is missing when it comes to spending money on projects here at UNC Charlotte.  I feel that the current student population needs to be addressed before we bring a swarm of students with no place to put them and food that only delivers satisfaction when you know it is no longer in your stomach.