In attempt to recover the University of La Verne from outstanding debt, the Board of Trustees is on the prowl to find $8 million to balance the operating budget. The University has been pulling money from the “quasi-endowment” fund for years to finance its operating budget. Now, with $8 million in the hole, a task force will gather to find a solution to balance the budget.

How did La Verne come to such a devastating point? Considering the University’s poor fundraising, a focus on the law school and the whole Athens fiasco last year, it is no wonder ULV is in such bad shape. Pushing for the accreditation of the law school, the University’s high hopes for the low enrollment program, have had serious effects. Not to mention the abrupt shutdown of ULV Athens, which likely cost the University more money than it would have, had it closed the program in a less hasty manner.

All these issues seem to come from mismanagement.

Now where exactly is $8 million going to come from? For a large university the money would be no problem, but for little La Verne, the amount is overwhelming.

Some of the task force’s small options would be cutting down on postage, paper usage and costs for catered events. But, trimming office funds is simply not going to cut it.

The possibility stands for the task force to alter class sizes to save money.

The class minimum at La Verne is currently seven students per class; the task force may opt to raise this minimum to 10 or 15 per class. However, larger classes seem to go against what the University stands for in the first place. Students did not come to ULV to be a number in a crowded classroom.

La Verne may have started to see the beginning of these cuts last fall with the sudden disposal of the men’s volleyball team. La Verne already seems to have the bare essentials in athletics, so what else could be cut there?

The task force may look to cut department programs with low enrollment.

The University’s lowest percentage of bachelor’s degrees awarded include visual/performing arts, law/legal studies, computer/information services, philosophy, religion and theology, physical science and protective services/public administration.

While some low-enrollment programs may be the easier targets, larger departments also need to be wary. Programs making the least money may be the first on the list, but even financially healthy programs could, after all, recover a significant amount of money. If the task force were to cut the communications department, a program with a $350,000 budget and in the top five for highest enrollment, they would still need to find millions more to cut.

The reasoning sounds ridiculous when considering the law school, with only one percent of degrees awarded, holds a budget of $2.5 million. The budget paired with the enrollment simply does not make sense.

The task force has yet to meet, but when they emerge, ULV will need to be prepared for some radical changes.