Higher ed finance expert to speak about UNI budget

A higher education finance expert on Thursday will give a presentation at the University of Northern Iowa on UNI's spending and saving.

Professor Howard Bunsis, who holds an MBA and a law degree, is a national expert on university finances and a faculty member at Eastern Michigan University, according to the statement about his visit. Bunsis also is chairman of the American Association of University Professor's Collective Bargaining Congress.

His presentation will be at 5 p.m. Thursday in the John Deere auditorium of the Curris Business Building on the UNI campus.

Drawing on UNI's audited financial statements and other public records, Bunsis will explain the details of UNI's financial practices, from the amount of money spent each year on administration, to the university's cash reserves, to administrative salary increases and the diminishing support for research and teaching, according to the statement. A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.

UNI officials in recent weeks have announced cuts to nearly 60 academic programs and plans to reduce tenured faculty positions as part of budget cuts. UNI faculty leaders argue UNI's finances are sound and the drastic cuts will harm the educational quality and the university's reputation.

"Our only goal is to have an honest and open discussion of the actual facts about our university's finances," Cathy DeSoto, United Faculty president, said in a statement about the presentation.