The great communicator: New SBP must effectively relay budget info to students

The specifics of UNC's budget cuts are going to be hammered out this summer. So when the fall semester begins the Jones administration needs to be ready to articulate which budget cuts will affect students the most.

Student Body President Jasmin Jones has a solid grasp of problems facing us next year.

And she has a thorough understanding of the painful economic realities facing the University community.

But many students don't.

And since this fiscal year ends in June students will be inundated with information about budget and program cuts when they return this fall.

Jones is already taking necessary steps to respond. She and her administration will spend the summer going through our tuition package line by line. Jones said she wants to account for the money students are charged — where the money goes and why some charges exist.

This information will be imperative for students to understand as they plan for tighter financial situations.

It also allows the University to communicate a clearer rationale for every tuition fee.

As for those hefty budget cuts Jones plans to respond as they roll in. In this regard she sees her role as a comforter to the student body — one who can explain why services are being cut.

And this point is key. Jones' position not only makes her the de facto voice of the student body but also primary communicator to the student body.

She is the only student in a position to communicate budget cuts from a student perspective with the knowledge and authority of an administrator.

As they prepare to fulfill that role the Jones administration will need to ensure they properly filter budget cut information in a manner students can understand.