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So the Board knew of $300,000 in loans but did not know of an additional $400,000.? Does this bother the Board? The OA chair said they would pay back $345,000 of the $700,000. over the next 5 years, what about the other $355,000.? Is that to be a gift? Is the Univeristy going to continue to provide between $50,000-$100,000 per year of space and resources to the OA free of charge (that's between $500,000-$800,000, of free resources, since the OA moved to campus). In tough financial times, that equals around $1.5 million of University resources. Not an insignificant amount.

Here's some figures from the ADG this morning that just might blow your mind:

Loans over a six year period made by UCA to OA;

'04 - $300,000
'05 - $100,000
'06 - $140,000
'07 - $10,000
'08 - $150,000

Total - $700,000

Now here's the kicker. Now only did UCA loan OA this money but every since 2004 the OA has been figured in as an expense in the annual budget of UCA. This is money that won't have to be paid back if indeed it is a budget item.

'04 - $5,161.91
'05 - $76,115.43
'06 - $69,053.52
'07 - $67,778.13
'08 - $68,807.89
'09 - $76,013.38
'10 - $53,638.21
'11 - $46,878.93
'12 - $48,871.55

Total - $512,318.95

Grand total for loan and budget items - $1,212,318.95

I am dumbfounded as to why this is still going on. Hardin left in '08 and we're still supporting the OA? Will someone please with any business sense explain to me and others just how this is a good investment monetarily. Exactly how has UCA benefitted from this investment considering the amount of money we have thrown at the OA? I can learn about southern culture somewhere else without having to go broke in the process.

Tuition going up on students, no raises to faculty and staff for several years. Yet, we have money to throw down a bottomless pit. I know we have a very good business school here at UCA. Maybe our guys/gals who are controlling our purse strings need to take a course or two.

I have been busy the last couple of days and I have not even read that article yet. It is hard to put a value on things that derive their value from enriching one's environment and literary culture. I know that is a steep price. However, for some of our writing students and English students that benefit from being a part of that very well respected magazine I am sure they see the value. Why build a new Science Building? Why have a band? Why support the Echo? Why waste money on providing the infrastructure to a new Greek Village? We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a campus in the Netherlands two administrations ago. Less than 30 students took advantage of that program each year. Some board members and administrators liked to go visit the campus in Europe and check on things. The President that stopped that immediately is the same President that thought the Oxford American would provide a benefit to our campus community and state. Tom is out, I am trying to get some numbers on how many students have had the opportunity to serve as interns, etc. Once I am informed I can answer questions more precisely. We have a lot of degree programs that cost a lot that produce very few graduates that probably struggle to find a job in their field. There are a lot of moving parts to a major University. Tom has had his hands full, he is focusing on all of the inefficiences like this that can be a source of potential waste and controversy.

While at some point the orginal investment/s needs to be repaid, the $50,000-60,000 per year (if that is a good number for all support) may be a good deal to have the OA as part of the campus and university environment. There is a promotional benefit of some value as a cultural component. If the university provides support, there definitely needs to be a required opportunity for writing and literature students to gain experience each semester whether for credit or paid interns and get to meet people in the literary world.

I don't have a problem with that but my question is "at what price?" If the UCA coffers were overflowing with money then there wouldn't be much discussion with what is going on with UCA and OA. However, our purse strings are pulled pretty tight with no raises and higher student fees being examples. Much more consideration should be extended to these two facets that are the backbone of UCA. At this point and time in our strapped budget the OA should be an afterthought until things get turned around monetarily, imo.

One question I always ask myself when considering a situation such as the OA is , if this were my money and not someone else's would I invest in a program of high liabilty or find a place for my money that would have a greater return for the money invested?

With the past financial struggles of the OA this was a very risky business venture to say the least. To note the fact that we yet haven't seen anything in writing about any interest being accrued on this loan, kinda proves my point I think.

At least we agree that there is a price.....OA should long term be materially self supporting with subscriptions, ad revenues and donors......my impression as a subscriber is they have really put lots of energy succesfully into putting out a high quality product...not sure how well they have developed donor money......Warwick has plenty of work to do.....

I think you may have taken my remark highlighted in your post slightly different than I intended....I was meaning that if OA is getting support from UCA, then they should have a requirement to provide specific opportunties to our students and faculty......

Future of Oxford left to UCA panel

Trustees to decide if magazine stays

DEBRA HALE-SHELTON
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

CONWAY — University of Central Arkansas President Tom Courtway said Tuesday that he will ask the board of trustees to decide whether to keep The Oxford American magazine on campus and, if it stays, whether to continue subsidizing it.
Courtway said he and Oxford American Publisher Warwick Sabin met earlier Tuesday to discuss the magazine’s recent sexual-harassment problems and “the continuing relationship, if any,” with UCA.
Courtway said he was not prepared to say what he would recommend to the board because he wants to confer with other UCA personnel first. He plans to take the matter to the board, perhaps at its Sept. 7 meeting.
Courtway said that, to his knowledge, the magazine has satisfactorily resolved sexual-harassment allegations against three employees.

Over the years, the magazine has accrued a $700,000 debt to the university. UCA also gives the magazine $50,000 a year for supplies.
Last month, amid the contention over Smirnoff and others, Rick Massey, the magazine’s board chairman, pledged five annual contributions of $69,000, starting immediately, to go toward that debt. That would leave a $355,000 debt.
In an interview Tuesday, Courtway said the questions needing to be addressed are three-fold.
“Do we continue to provide the offices for [the magazine’s editorial staff], knowing that some of our [student] interns will be over there and knowing what benefits it will accrue to the university?” Courtway said.

During UCA’s own investigation of the harassment allegations recently, it came to light that only one of the interns there at the time was a UCA student. Other students came from other colleges. In a recent e-mail, Sabin said, “The Oxford American has a competitive internship program that is open to anyone who applies. UCA students do not receive special consideration, but UCA students are frequently selected from among the many national applicants each year.”
Courtway said that, among other things, he wants to know how many of UCA’s writing interns can work at the magazine.
“I would hope that whatever happens, we have a more significant intern involvement in the operation,” he added.

A second question, Courtway said, is whether UCA should continue to provide the office-supply money at $50,000 annually, another sum or none.
Finally, he said, there’s the question of “the long-term prospects” of getting the full debt repaid.
Sabin said Tuesday that Courtway indicated to him that “he was just going to sort of think about what form the future relationship [with the magazine] would take.”
Courtway also wants to be sure the two talk about UCA getting all of the benefits it would like from that relationship, Sabin said.

After visiting with some staff members, including the interim provost and others at UCA, and with Sabin again, Courtway said he then will decide what to propose to the board of trustees.
The UCA board and the magazine’s board must decide “how we want to conduct this arrangement going forward — whether [magazine employees] move off the campus, whether we keep them here,” Courtway said.
“We have to make some decisions,” Courtway said. “He [Sabin] and his board have to.”
Courtway said a formal agreement between the university and the magazine has probably expired but can be extended if needed. “Everything is operating in good faith right now,” he said.
Courtway described his meeting with Sabin, who became publisher in April 2008, as a preliminary and “constructive discussion.”
The UCA president said it’s the first time he could recall that he and Sabin have sat down “face to face” to discuss the magazine’s relationship with UCA since he became interim president in September and president in December.

I'm sorry people but there is so much "fail" with this business association with the OA that anyone with good common sense and good business sense should take little time in determining to release this albatross from around the neck of UCA. From a monetary standpoint there is not one thing about this association with the OA that is beneficial to this university.

I want to believe that we now have leaders running this university that will not hesitate to shed an entity that has been a black eye on the face of a great university. If someone on staff, in administration, or basically just associated with UCA had been accused and/or found guilty of such charges, they would, hopefully, be recent history here at UCA.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Board of Trustees, this is a no-brainer. As a taxpayer and donor to this university, I believe this should be the easiest decision you might ever make during your tenures on the board. Please see to it that my hard-earned money is better put to work for the students and personnel of this university.

I have a family member who is a journalist, and she frequently compliments the OA, and brags about it being the one good piece of literature in the entire state. I think we can all agree it is a well written magazine, and an important piece of our southern culture.

As for Honeybears points.... I almost spilled my coffee when I saw that only one UCA student was interning. I honestly believe that every opportunity available to UCA students currently would continue to be available to them in within the OA's little rock offices. I think its time to cut the cord, and wish them luck in Little Rock.