by Aaron Butts
For the past three years, Capital has undergone a tremendous undertaking by carrying out its Empathy Experiment. This year, however, for the first time since its inception, Capital is not holding the annual experiment.
In the past, the Empathy Experiment has been a tremendous controversy among Capital students and faculty. Created by Capital’s President Denvy Bowman, the Empathy Experiment sought to discover whether or not it was possible to teach empathy to students who would volunteer to participate in the program. The Empathy Experiment was rumored to cost the University millions to put on every year with incredible advertising and running costs.
“Due to budget constraints, we felt it necessary to delay the expansion of the program this year,” the President’s Chief of Staff Susan Merryman said. “While we were disappointed, we were also reminded of the very good work the faculty, staff, and students are already doing on campus and within the local community.”
The Empathy Experiment is only the latest cut that has been made at the university due to budget constraints. Many may remember when dozens of faculty and staff were let go at the beginning of the year in order to supposedly streamline the operations of the university. Administration denies that the cuts had anything to do with budget deficits at the time.
“While it’s true that law school revenues are lower than in previous years as a result of the decline in enrollment, the university ended its 2012-2013 fiscal year with a surplus of approximately $950,000,” Provost Richard Ashbrook said about low enrollment at the Capital Law School leading to budget shortfalls
This prompts the question that if the university was operating at a surplus at the beginning of the year, and enrollment is higher than it ever has been before, why is the university making so many cuts to yearly costs?
While it’s hasty to conclude that the university holds any sinister intentions in withholding the true nature of their running deficit, many in the Capital community are simply relieved that the university is no longer spending an incredible amount of money on a program such as the Empathy Experiment. Perhaps this means that Capital is putting its money to better use, although the purposes they intend to utilize these freed funds for have yet to be revealed.
abutts@capital.edu
