Answering your questions about the College’s budget: Part two

Graphic by Audrey Hanan ’28

By Betty Smart ‘26

Graphics Editor

Over a month ago, Mount Holyoke College’s workers went on strike, and I came to the realization that I had next to no idea how the College’s budget worked, both under normal and abnormal situations. While the College’s annual financial statements are available for public viewing on the MHC website, most students’ only real exposure to the budget comes from experiencing increases in tuition. I sat down with the College’s Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, Carl Ries, to break down the budget. This is part two of what I learned about the bigger picture of the College’s budget. The first part of this article can be found in Mount Holyoke News’ 9/29 publication and on our website.

How does Mount Holyoke pay for bigger projects?

One big mystery for me surrounding the budget centered on the College’s big building and renovation projects and how they fit into the College’s financing. I learned from Ries that Mount Holyoke actually has two budgets. The first is the operating budget, which was discussed in more detail in the first part of this article, and concerns the everyday costs of the College. The second is the capital budget, which is primarily concerned with the College’s larger projects.

The capital budget is paid for with debt, the occasional grant, and, this year, $5 million out of the entire operating budget. Doing some quick math on this, out of a total budget of around $165.5 million, 5 million would be 3%. Even if this amount were entirely composed of tuition revenue, each student — 2,209 total in 2024 — would have paid approximately $2,263.47.

Putting this number with an average 2024 tuition of $44,448.16 — $98,186,000 from 2,209 undergraduates’ total tuition, housing, and food revenue — each student would have paid at most approximately 5% of their total tuition towards the capital budget.

Ries went into this in more detail, saying the College “[doesn’t] use regular revenue to support [bigger projects.]” Because the funds in the College’s endowment are protected and hence cannot be used, the College can either fundraise, or take out a loan. Previous projects like renovations to the Community Center and construction of “SuperBlanch” were a mixture of both; “a little bit of borrowing, but mostly fundraising,” according to Ries.

Depreciation of buildings in general is another big expense for the operating budget. A hypothetical building that is initially worth $50 million, according to Ries, would go on the College’s balance sheet as an asset. As time goes on, however, its value would fall; going off an estimated useful life of 50 years, that would be an annual loss of $1 million from its original value. This loss is what “hits [the] operating budget as depreciation,” according to Ries; while depreciation isn’t directly spent, like other expenses, the reduced monetary value it represents counts as a loss. Last year, depreciation cost the college $12,280,000, about 7% of its total expenses. Ries went on to say, “This last fiscal year … is probably the first year in which we will have had a deficit from operations. And a large portion of that is because of increased depreciation.”

What happens in the case of budget deficits or surpluses?

According to the College’s annual financial summary, Mount Holyoke ended the 2024 fiscal year with a deficit of $452,000, which was a noticeable change from the previous year’s surpluses. Ries said this was something that hadn’t happened in “several years.”

The College’s 2024 financial summary partly attributes this drop to “reduced vacancies,” particularly following COVID-19. “For years after COVID, when people weren't coming back to work as quickly, or it was harder to find employees to fill those positions, we saved a little bit of money because we weren't spending as much money on personnel,” Ries stated.

Despite the “very small” surpluses, the College had no intention to continue with a smaller staff, as Ries told me, “Being fully staffed is important because if the Dining Commons isn't fully staffed or if Student Life isn't fully staffed, that means that the students are not getting the experience that we want them to have.”

According to the 2024-2025 financial summary, the deficit is the result of increasing wages and benefits, and more work being done on buildings and their subsequent depreciation. In situations like this, deficits are covered with reserves. These reserves are not from the endowment, instead they are made up of surpluses from previous years that earn interest in the operating account funds. “We can cover a few years of operating deficits through the use of reserves, but they’re there [for]support when times get tough,” Ries said.

In what other ways does the College respond to inflation?

Inflation is all around us, and not going away anytime soon. Ries told me that while Mount Holyoke is unfortunately “not large enough” to stock up on heavy equipment like that for the building projects, the rising cost of food is another story. The College does not want to have to stop doing business with local suppliers because of rising prices. “We do a ton of local purchasing, so we try to avoid [choosing different products] as much as possible.”

“One thing that they were talking about doing this year,” he went on, “was ordering a larger quantity of a particular ingredient, prepping it … ahead of time, [and then] freezing or refrigerating it to then be used at specific times in the year.” Ries said the biggest questions the College tries to answer when doing this are, “How much does it cost to buy a certain ingredient? Should we be buying it prepared, or do we do it from scratch the way we do it now?” Ries gave me an example, saying that for the College, “buying pre-chopped onions is very expensive, [but] buying a box of onions and paying somebody to do it has been cheaper for us.”

All in all, Ries said, the College’s efforts around inflation boil down to “choosing products, thinking about preparation … and avoiding all the sort of ancillary costs of buying stuff that comes shipped in from California or from Florida because there’s an environmental impact, there’s a cost to that. So we try to do as much local [purchasing] as we can.”

What would happen with a loss of federal funding?

Although a loss of federal funding is a real possibility, the College is not in over its head yet. Overall, it truly depends on the extent and nature of the losses. Regarding something like a hypothetical ban on international students, Ries said the College would immediately “have to stop everything and figure out how to deal with that … there's no contingency that can really prepare you … you'd have to restructure a lot of the budget.” However, for certain smaller things, the College is more confident. Ries said certain losses could be made up for by fundraising, or outside grants or philanthropy. “It may mean that we'd have to cut expenses in a certain area, but we haven't had to do that yet … Some of it is really thinking about, ‘Do we have to make changes to the operating budget or can we replace that revenue?’”

An example Ries gave was Pell Grants, a federal program that pays financial aid for those it describes as “undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need,” and usually does not need to be paid off. If the College were to lose access to them, it would likely turn to privatized student loans, something that it is already doing for international students.

Right now, 70% of all undergraduate students at Mount Holyoke apply for financial aid, and 82% of those applicants receive some aid from grants they don’t have to repay. Ries said that no matter what, the College would always prioritize its students. “We have a commitment that we've made to them, and it would depend on the long-term impact, but the College would find a way to make sure that we didn't lose students because of a loss of federal funding. That's something that we've been saying since the beginning of all of these threats, that we'll find a way to make it work.”

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Discontent brewing amongst Frances Perk café staff

Photo by Sydney Wiser ’27

The Frances Perk, located inside the Williston Library’s Atrium, is a staple for many students; they serve snacks, coffee, teas, and a few baked goods.

Elizabeth Murray ’26

Features Editor

The Frances Perk café is a popular stop for students in between classes or on a study break. Located in the Williston Memorial Library Atrium, the Perk is managed by Mount Holyoke’s Dining Services and staffed almost entirely by students. The café is open most days of the semester and offers a mix of beverages and pastries.

Recently, baristas have grown more frustrated with their treatment by upper management. “Especially this semester, it kind of feels like we're on our own,” one Perk staff member who asked to remain anonymous said. Another anonymous student echoed this sentiment, stating, “It feels like [the administration] doesn't care about us at all.”

One concern is the onboarding of new baristas. The Perk hires staff once the café is open, which isn’t until students return for a new semester. Hired staff must have experience working as a barista, and they are normally trained in three training sessions before they can work on their own. Recently, new staff have had difficulty being able to schedule training sessions, leaving experienced staff to train during regular shifts, adding to their usual duties. This can be incredibly difficult during particularly busy shifts that overlap with rush times. One of the staff members we spoke to voiced their frustration, saying, “It was solely up to the students and it felt like management knew, but they were like, oh, it's not that big of a deal. You guys should figure it out on your own. That's how it felt.”

During a regular shift, there are ideally two or three baristas present to ensure that things run smoothly, but this hasn’t been standardized across shifts. Lately, there have been scheduling issues caused by an overall staffing shortage, meaning there is no one to fill in if someone calls out sick. This can leave staff members in a tight spot, having to manage the café by themselves. Other times shifts have to be left open because of conflicting class schedules. One of the employees Mount Holyoke News spoke to mentioned that management has scolded employees for not being able to fill empty shifts.

There has also been frustration around how management chooses to enforce certain policies over others. Baristas expressed frustration with management’s enforcement of the dress code policy in particular. “I've heard some people complain about misogynistic dress coding,” one barista said. Another employee said “managers cornering students and commenting on their bodies showing” was an issue. It isn’t clear to either staff member what is considered a dress code violation, and despite having contacted Dining Services they have received no answer.

The students continuously expressed how frustrated they were with upper management and felt that they made work for the employees harder. “They make it harder, not easier to open [and] close and they expect unreasonable hours … there's just a lack of communication.” one staff member said. Employees interviewed by MHN feel that upper management doesn’t understand the struggles students are having managing the Perk, and fail to include them in decision making. “We're the ones actually doing the work and I feel like maybe we have a better insight to how things work.” one staff member said.

“I think management needs to acknowledge that they've never run a coffee shop before. They run dining halls, which are very different things … it's a different beast entirely but the majority of students who work at the Perk… actually have worked at a coffee shop before,” another student said.

The Perk’s staff have reached out to Dining Services to voice their frustrations. “We have contacted management and collectivized. We sent them emails. They have not responded … We've been contacting them … since the beginning of the semester. They know the issues,” one student said.

When baristas were asked about potentially forming a union, one responded, “As far as I know, there won't be any unionizing. Our complaints are just easy, easy fixes, maybe in the future.” Another staff member said they were not comfortable with answering that question themselves.

Mount Holyoke News asked baristas what management can do to improve. One answered, “Management needs to do better with their hiring process and with the training process.” Another responded, “[I] think they need to start listening and engaging with us and acknowledging that we really care about the work we do, as well as … considering what is a priority for rules that need to be enforced and what is not, and also re-examining ways that they can make their staff feel like they’re cared for.”

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

MHC After Dark bingo held

Photo by Jo Elliot ’28

Students congregate in the Great Room to all play bingo during a Mount Holyoke After Dark event.

By Jo Elliott ‘28

Staff Writer

Almost every Friday evening, the Great Room is home to MHC After Dark’s substance-free events. The events rotate in themes and events, Oct. 3’s event being bingo. MHC After Dark’s programming offers students the opportunity to participate in late night events without the use of substances, offering community and fun to those who don’t consume substances.

The series of events runs every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Both the Office of Student Involvement and BeWell host these events. Some of their past nights include Just Dance parties and craft nights. Most MHC After Dark programs are held in the Great Room at Blanchard Hall.

Mia Gonzales Jackson ‘26 attended the bingo night on, and noted that, “I am a big fan of bingo events on campus! The event I attended was hosted by the Division of Student Life and part of the MHC After Dark programming. Personally, I enjoy playing bingo because it is simple and fun.”

Another attendee who spoke highly of the event, Maddie Stith ‘26, said, “I like events like these because I feel like it forces me to not stay in my dorm for the whole day, and it allows me to connect with people that I don't get to see often because it's a mutual enjoyment for such activities and allows me to spend time with groups of people that I know.”

Both attendees highlighted the importance of having these drug-free events on campus with Jackson saying, “I think offering this program supports Mount Holyoke's campus-wide drug-free policy and offers a different position on what an enjoyable college experience contains. For those who do not follow the crowd, it is a reminder that we are not left out or denied opportunities to have fun.”

Similarly, Stith stated, “I feel like it gives time and an open space for people who are not really into [drinking or consuming other substances] or people who literally cannot due to whatever medical reasons because that's also a thing.”

Substance-free events on college campuses can help ensure students who don’t use drugs or alcohol feel isolated from other students. Especially when it comes to the pressure of being in close proximity to substances, which often feature prominently at student-hosted parties.

“The college experience provides a context where experimentation with alcohol and other substances is facilitated by new freedoms, ample free time, reduced supervision, transitions to new social contexts, and a culture of partying,” Pennsylvania State University researchers state. “Studies suggest that students who spend more time in naturally-occurring alcohol-free activities including academics, volunteering, and campus activities (excluding fraternity and sorority activities) report less alcohol use.”

Stith touted the social benefits of going to events like these for herself: “It's also a really nice thing to be able to do so you don't have to worry about feeling excluded or left out or like you're not fitting in with the environment.”

Madeleine Diesl ’28 contributed fact-checking.

Mount Holyoke rings in another academic school year

Photo by Elizabeth Murray ’26
Students decked out in their class colors gathered in the Gettell Amphitheater to watch as this year’s Convocation began on a bright Tuesday morning.

Elizabeth Murray ‘26

Features Editor

It was a sunny day, and students enthusiastically filled the Gettell Amphitheater as the Five College West African Music Ensemble played. On Sept. 2, Mount Holyoke College held its annual Convocation to mark the beginning of a new academic year.

Convocation is a time-honored Mount Holyoke tradition, welcoming new and returning students. For first years, it's the wrap-up to orientation and their first campus-wide tradition. For seniors, it’s a great way to start their last year. “Everyone was cheering for all classes and faculty with catchy chants that made it hard not [to] join in! Not to mention some of the insanely creative outfits of some students that were a sight to see! I had such a great time and can’t wait for next year’s convocation!” Adrian Moncrief ’29 said in an email interview with Mount Holyoke News.

Although the Amphitheater’s ramp was blocked by construction, an accessible viewing was organized in the Gamble Auditorium. When asked about experiencing convocation indoors, Mia Gonzales Jackson ’26 said, “Folks in charge made sure we got water and beads, so we were well taken care of; [they] even made sure I made it back outside for the senior photo.”

Yet, despite many positive experiences, this year's Convocation was mired in controversy. Mount Holyoke College facilities workers, dining employees and housekeepers, who are members of the Service Employees International Union and the United Auto Workers Union, had gone six months without coming to an agreement on a contract. On Convocation, the workers protested the lengthy negotiations with a strike, during which the college hired outside staff for the post-Convocation barbecue. This was criticized as strike-breaking and prompted calls for a boycott in the days leading up to the ceremony. Many students chose to wear union pins and hold up signs expressing their support for the strike during the ceremony.

As the senior students and faculty came down the stairs, the usual convocation energy was high, and everyone took their seats. However, when Sally Durdan ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees, began her speech thanking the College’s staff for their hard work, the crowd immediately broke out into chants of “pay your workers” and “no Convocation,” interrupting the ceremony for several minutes.

Vic Klapa ’26, who had brought their own megaphone, led the chant and read a speech criticizing the college’s treatment of its staff. Eventually, President Holley came to the podium, at which point the Mount Holyoke Convocation Choir turned their chairs away from her. She stated her support for the College’s workers and her commitment to finding a solution. “We will never stay as a college that does not fairly engage with its workers. I promise,” she assured. President Holley also said that if the students did not wish to proceed with Convocation, she would respect that decision.

The crowd settled, and Convocation proceeded as normal. Durdan finished her speech and then ceded the podium to President Holley. In her speech, Holley announced that the theme for this year's Convocation was sustainability, “in every sense of the word.” Holley’s speech highlighted the College’s efforts to become environmentally sustainable through its geothermal project, as well as ensuring the Mount Holyoke community is sustainable through all the upheavals the world may throw at it. In her speech President Holley noted how in its 188-year history Mount Holyoke’s community has withstood natural disasters, wars, and pandemics, to name a few, and that it will continue on.

Next was a speech by Student Government Association (SGA) President Nathania Amadi ’26. Amadi spoke about making the Mount Holyoke College community stronger by continuously working to be inclusive and rejecting all forms of hate, prejudice, and bullying. She also highlighted SGA’s successes, such as providing free laundry in the dorms and free sanitary products in the bathrooms in Blanchard Hall. In a touching moment, Amadi called on all current and past members of the SGA to stand up and thanked them for their hard work and effort, highlighting that these wins were not a one-person job. She ended her speech by noting that growth is a continuous process, and encouraging our community to strive for it.

When asked about her feelings post-Convocation, Amadi said, “After the ceremony, I felt exhilarated, empowered, and excited to start the new year! Hearing the cheers from everyone whilst talking about change during my speech was reassuring that our great community will embrace and implement said change.”

After Amadi, Angelica Patterson, Curator of Education and Outreach for the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, spoke on the theme of sustainability and how it expands beyond environmental causes, encouraging personal growth and challenge. This was followed by the choir led by Colin Britt, lecturer in music and director of choral activities, singing “I. we have come,” a Persian song arranged by Abbie Betinis, based on the poems of Hâfez.

The final speaker was Olivia Aguilar, associate professor of environmental studies. Her speech tied back to this year’s common read, “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler, comparing the novel’s plot to the issues facing our world today. In particular, she highlighted how the novel discusses climate change and how Mount Holyoke community members can learn to fight for a better future through our community.

The choir closed the ceremony with a rendition of the alma mater, and the seniors posed for their class photograph. In the end, a long-held school tradition marked by students making their voices heard probably made this year's Convocation the most Mount Holyoke of them all.

Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.