By Madeline Alvarez, Sports Editor
Many businesses have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and Newman is no exception.
But Interim President Teresa Hall Bartels said that she doesn't believe that the university is financially struggling more than anyone else is at this time.
"I think all businesses and people are struggling to adapt to this unprecedented situation...So, when I talked to other private schools, Catholic schools, the Kansas Independent Colleges, everybody's in the same boat," she said.
Bartels said that the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which is a $2 trillion bill that was signed into law on Friday, includes $14 billion to help college students and institutions. She said she doesn't know how much Newman will receive from that, but she expects the university will share in the grants and loans that are available.
Newman has lost revenue from external events that would have taken place on campus but have been canceled due to the coronavirus, Bartels said.
Director of Alumni and Campus Events Laura Hartley said in an email that out of 12 private events that were scheduled to happen at Newman, two have been rescheduled and 10 have been canceled since the closing of campus. The canceled events included a wedding reception that was scheduled for April 4 and the State Spelling Bee scheduled for March 21. Most of the other events were meetings, she said. The rescheduled events are Center of Hope's big fundraiser which would have happened on April 19 but is now scheduled for late June and a Stepstone Training meeting that has been moved to the fall.
"Right now, we have lost a little over $6,000 in revenue from these events," she said.
Bartels said that the university is also losing money from not having athletic games and the spring musical.
The university is refunding students who moved out of the residence halls after Spring Break, and is also losing money from that, Bartels said.
However, Newman is saving some costs in utilities, Bartels said, because the temperature can be adjusted in the buildings that no one is using.
Provost Kimberly Long said that Academic Affairs has spent $30,000 outside of budget on technology to ensure that staff and faculty could work from home and for students to be able to access their classes online.
Academic Affairs has not seen a huge impact from this, she said, because the department has come in under budget for the last four years, and she does not believe that it will be over budget at the end of the year.
"I think the faculty...have been working incredibly hard and have been very supportive of protecting public health to try and make this very unusual move to all online in just a few days," she said. "I'd just like to say thanks to all of them and all the students for dealing with this very trying time."
Bartels said that Newman has been focused on financial stability for a couple of years.
"Everybody has been working hard to make sure that we're putting the university in the best position, and we'll continue to do that," she said.
Courtesy Photo, Newman Advancement
