Myths and Facts

In a small college community, myths about all types of subjects can be widespread to the point that they eventually overcome the facts. What are the facts related to the prevailing myths at Guilford College? With campus-wide input, a task group assembled a list of myths related to the academic, admission/campus life, advancement and finance areas of the college, as well as some college-wide myths. Facts have been supplied for each myth, with the source of accurate information cited. A college organizational chart is available for reference.

Do you have questions about any of the myths? Do you want to have a myth researched and added to the list accompanied by appropriate facts? If so, e-mail Jeff Favolise at favoliseje@guilford.edu.

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Academic Affairs

Myth
 Fact
 Source

Educational Programs
Guilford is becoming a vocational school.
 Guilford has always had both traditional liberal arts and career-oriented programs. In the three academic years ending with 2006-07, the college awarded 1,682 undergraduate degrees, of which 988 (or 59%) were in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and other liberal arts fields. The Carnegie Classifications define liberal arts colleges as those who award at least half their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields.
 Friends Historical Collection, Office of the Registrar

Power to Make Decisions
Faculty have the most power to make decisions at Guilford.
 Almost all final decisions rest with the president and, in some cases, the Board of Trustees. Faculty do have primary responsibility for their own teaching and research and the scope and content of the curriculum. Additionally, faculty have authority over how the curriculum is delivered (online, etc.)
 Faculty Handbook, College by-laws
The most significant voices in the tenure process are administrators, not faculty.
 The faculty have the pivotal role in the review of their peers and the standards to which tenure cases are applied. The five-member Faculty Affairs Committee is appointed through the nominating process. The FAC recommends tenure and promotions to the dean, president and Board of Trustees who concur almost every time. Further, the faculty and the Board of Trustees approve all standards and criteria for faculty review by consensus.
 Faculty Handbook

Quality
CCE students get lower grades than traditional students.
 For students enrolled in fall 2007, excluding any student that withdrew with all W or WP grades, CCE students had average cumulative GPAs (grade-point averages) of 2.85 and traditional students had average cumulative GPAs of 2.85. For students enrolled in fall 2007, CCE and traditional students had the same average GPA. For students enrolled in fall 2006, the CCE average was .03 higher (2.88 versus 2.85).
 Office of the Registrar
CCE students have a lower graduation rate than traditional students.
 Graduation rates are only calculated (nationally) for first-time, full-time students, whether they are traditional or CCE students. Each year only a few (less than five) CCE students enter Guilford as a first-time, full-time student. The 2007 four, five and six year graduation rates for first-time, full-time students (both traditional and CCE) were 49%, 56% and 58% respectively. CCE students, because they move in and out of college as a general rule more than traditional students, do have a uniquely reported persistence rate (which includes transfers, part-time students and readmits) from semester to semester. The average CCE persistence rates over seven years are 74% (percentage of students who were enrolled in the spring and came back in the fall) and 80% (percentage of students who were enrolled in the fall and came back in the spring), ending in 2007. In 2007, the first-year retention rate for traditional students was 72%.
 Office of Admission, Office of the Registrar
Class sizes are large.
 In 2007, the average class size was 16 (below the 2010 strategic plan goal of 20), the student-faculty ratio was at 15:1 (versus the 16:1 goal) and the percentage of classes under 20 students was 69%, versus the 65% goal, better than the averages of both peer (53%) and aspirant colleges (64%). From 2003 to 2008, full-time equivalent enrollment increased about 45% and the number of faculty 60%.
 Office of the Registrar, Assessment of Strategic Indicators 2006, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century

Admission & Campus Life

Myth
 Fact
 Source

Athletics
Guilford has no commitment to intercollegiate athletics.
 Intercollegiate athletics have received significant attention in the past few years, as appropriate for an activity in which more than 25% of traditional students participate. The college has restored or added four sports, including women's swimming, women's and men's cross-country and men's tennis, bringing the number of teams to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference median of 16. Between 2002 and 2009, the college funded (through a combination of operating expenses and charitable gifts) about $3.1 million worth of new construction and renovations to athletic facilities, including major improvements to Armfield Athletic Center, the construction of a new softball field and renovations to Ragan-Brown Field House and Alumni Gym. New tennis facilities were added in 2008 at a cost just under $500,000. Athletes and other community members have both benefited, for example, from the transformation of racquetball courts into a fitness facility with free weights and other fitness equipment.
 The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century; Vice President for Finance and Administration
Guilford overemphasizes intercollegiate athletics.
 See the previous myth. Many members of the community think the college does not support athletics enough. The fact is that academics are the top priority and the quality of campus life experience for all students is emphasized. While athletics is discussed and funded in the strategic plan, the academic program and faculty salaries top the list of priorities. Of the $25 million allocated to capital projects between 2002 and 2009, about 12% has been for athletics, 48% for student services and housing and 24% for the academic program. As a NCAA Division III member, Guilford does not award athletic scholarships, although many athletes receive need-based and merit-based financial aid. In the spring of 2007, the college reaffirmed its support of Division III athletics rather than becoming a Division II school. This decision was based on factors including the greater academic quality of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the college's ability to compete more successfully at the Division III level, strategic prioritization and balance of college initiatives, the student-athlete philosophy of Division III athletics and the prohibitive costs--especially in personnel and operating costs--of moving to Division II.
 The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century
Our athletic teams are nicknamed the "Fighting Quakers."
 While some have referred to Guilford as "Home of the Fighting Quakers," the official nickname of the athletic teams is "Quakers." It is interesting to note in David McCullough's book 1776 that George Washington once described Nathaniel Greene, one of the leading generals of the Revolutionary War and the City of Greensboro's namesake, as a "Fighting Quaker." McCullough was a Bryan Series speaker in 2006-07.
 Athletics Department, Friends Historical Collection

Campus Life
Any Guilford student is eligible for on-campus housing.
 Only Guilford students under the age of 23 taking 12 or more hours are housed in on-campus facilities.
 Office of Campus Life Policy
Campus Life staff members arbitrarily change campus policies.
 Any major policy change affecting students is put before the campus community in an open-forum setting before implementation. Examples include the dining service rebidding process, campus sustainability initiatives, ethical purchasing and procurement policies and practices and Serendipity student forums. Community Senate and the CCE Student Government Association are the primary points of contact for students to make their voices heard. See "The administration does not listen" myth in college-wide section.
 Office of Campus Life
Guilford students do not have to live on campus.
 About 74% of traditional students live on campus. Living in apartments and residence halls is an important part of the educational process at Guilford and for this reason, traditional-aged students are encouraged and expected to live on campus for the majority of their time at Guilford. Guilford requires all traditional students to receive formal approval to reside off campus or commute from home (with a parent or guardian in residence with him/her; a non-traditional-age student may live in his/her home or privately owned rental unit).
 Office of Campus Life
Meal plan exemptions are easy to obtain.
 Almost all traditional students are required to be on the meal plan (students living in the alternative houses and the apartments are an exception). Exemptions are rare and most students' dietary needs can be accommodated on the meal plan. In 2005-06, for example, three of 1,043 students eligible for the meal plan (less than 1%) were granted exemptions. Meal plan changes are only accepted through the first week of classes each semester.
 Office of Campus Life
Resident Advisers (RAs) have an easy job and just do it for the free room.
 Resident Advisers have a very difficult and extremely multifaceted job. They are implementers of college policy, programmers, listeners, crisis managers, peer educators and students.
 Office of Campus Life Policy, RA job descriptions

Quality
The growth in student enrollment is bad for Guilford.
 In addition to extensive fundraising, the revenue generated by a larger enrollment allows to improve admission selectivity and yield, increase faculty, maintain a desirable student-faculty ratio, increase staffing in student service areas and improve facilities. Guilford was the fastest-growing four-year higher education institution in North Carolina between the fall of 2000 and the fall of 2005, more than doubling its headcount from 1,250 to 2,682. Selectivity increased during that same period. The growth has been due mostly to an expanded CCE population that mirrors a national trend in which nearly 50% of all undergraduates are 25 years of age or older. The college's strategic plan for 2005-10 slowed the rate of growth to 32% in that period with a projected total headcount of 3,338 by the fall of 2009. During the spring of 2007, the college reduced the target to 2,830. For the traditional student population (current headcount of 1,452), the college is on target to reach its new goal of 1,523 by 2010. The traditional totals are lower than the averages of Guilford's peer (2,086) and aspirant (2,389) institutions. The CCE enrollment in 2007 was 1,141 (the fall 2009 goal was reduced from 1,792 to 1,212). Typically, 95 students are enrolled in the Early College at Guilford. From 2003 to 2008, enrollment increased about 45% and the number of faculty 60%.
 The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century.
Guilford is lowering standards to obtain more students.
 Excluding readmitted students, acceptance rates declined from fall 2000 to fall 2007 for both traditional students (78% to 58%) and CCE students (74% to approximately 51%). This represents seven consecutive years in which the acceptance rate has declined for traditional students although it increased to about 63% for fall 2009. Guilford also improved in attracting a higher percentage of traditional students in the top 10% of their high school class. The 2007 rate of 20% was up dramatically from 11% in 2004.
Office of Admission, CCE
CCE acceptance rates are higher than rates for traditional students.
 CCE acceptance rates (excluding readmits) declined from 74% in the fall of 2000 to approximately 51% in the fall of 2007--lower than the rate for traditional students.
CCE, Office of Admission
Almost all CCE classes are closed to traditional students.
 Considering spring 2006 classes as a representative snapshot of current offerings, 46% of classes taught at night were available to traditional students. 85% of classes that were restricted to CCE students at night also offered a daytime section of the same class. Conversely, just 14% of CCE students took only daytime classes. Restrictions on day-student ability to take night classes were originally implemented at the request of the faculty to ensure enrollment by day students in daytime classes.
 Office of the Registrar, CCE Dean
Guilford's traditional students are all liberals.
 The percentage of students referring to themselves as "liberal" varies from year-to-year, but is generally consistent with the number identified at our competitor schools. Guilford, with core values that include community and diversity, is committed to creating an environment that welcomes a variety of perspectives and that helps develop shared understandings.
 Cooperative Institutional Research Program data, national guides

The Early College at Guilford
The Early College at Guilford has 500 students.
 The school has approximately 50 students per grade level with a cap of 200.
 Early College
The Early College at Guilford is a pilot program.
 The Early College at Guilford (ECG) is North Carolina's first early college high school established in 2002. It is a full-fledged school with a (N.C. public) school number that participates in state-mandated accountability testing. About 20% of ECG graduates have chosen to complete their college education at Guilford College. ECG is the only Guilford County high school to achieve Honor School of Excellence status. In 2009 and for the third year in a row, ECG was named one of America's best public high schools in Newsweek's annual survey of 1,300 schools. The Early College is the highest-ranked N.C. high school.
 Early College
The Early College serves white kids who once attended private high schools.
 In the 2007-08 academic year and based on self-reports, the percentage of students belonging to various racial and ethnic classifications is as follows: Native American (.5%), Asian (22.6%), Hispanic (1.5%), African-American (9.2%), Multiracial (4.1%), and Caucasian (62.1%).
 Early College

Advancement

Myth
 Fact
 Source

Alumni Relations
All Guilford wants from alumni is money.
 In addition to annual giving, the college relies on alumni for admission volunteer work, employee referrals for graduates and communications with various constituencies. The college's alumni giving rate improved to 23% in 2007. This contributed to the college setting a record for funds raised of over $10.8 million in FY 2008-09. It is standard for all colleges to expect and need financial support from alumni. Guilford strives to engage the alumni to develop a strong community and involve them in college decisions. Through the "Alumni connections" portal, newsletters and meetings across the country, Guilford alumni remain linked to and involved in their college.
 Office of Alumni Relations policies and practices

College-wide

Myth
 Fact
 Source

Bookstore
The bookstore engages in monopolistic price gouging for textbooks, paperback books and trade books.
 Bookstore operations are contracted out to Follett, who is contractually obligated to maintain a fair pricing policy for books, including used textbooks. Its prices are based on publishers' list prices and are consistent with the marketplace. The bookstore also complies with the Half Back program. This program allows the bookstore to inform the student at the time of purchase that the student will receive half of the retail price when they sell the book back to the bookstore. The bookstore must have faculty confirmation on each title in order for that title to be included in this program. In 2009, as part of a normal competitive cycle, Guilford will rebid the bookstore contract.
 Vice President for Finance and Administration, Follett

Campus Life
Guilford is lenient in student behavior disciplinary actions.
 The Student Code of Conduct contains a comprehensive outline of community expectations about student behavior. Violations of this conduct code, and sanctions that may result, are included in the Guilford College Student Handbook. During the 2007-08 academic year, 485 students were charged with a combined 1,224 violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Students were not found responsible for 654 of these violations. However, students were found to be responsible for 434 violations with 136 violations remaining unresolved.
 Office of Campus Life
Students may not participate in study abroad programs if they have been found responsible for any judicial offense under the Student Code of Conduct.
 Designated faculty leaders utilize a range of information in determining applicants' suitability for study abroad programs. Faculty leaders discuss student academic performance with academic advisers and other faculty and behavioral issues with campus life staff in order to garner a fair and complete portrait of the applicant. All students are genuinely encouraged to pursue study abroad and should direct any questions about their applications to the designated faculty leader or the study abroad office.
 Guilford study abroad Web page
The campus judicial board works with the Guilford County Court System to determine if a student is guilty or innocent.
 The campus judicial board is composed of five students and two faculty members who gather to determine whether a student is responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct. Campus violations are separate from any criminal charges imposed by federal, state or local law enforcement agencies. The campus judicial process and criminal court system process are different and do not dependent on, or necessarily influence, one another. Students are allowed to present witnesses and submit evidence in their defense before the board renders a decision, but lawyers are not permitted to represent students in campus judicial board hearings.
 Judicial Board Policy, Office of Campus Life
The police should always be called after a fight.
 Guilford College public safety officers are trained to respond to incidents on campus. The police are called to assist in situations where extra help may be needed to ensure students' health and safety. Not every conflict between campus community members rises to a level that would call for police presence or involvement.
 Office of Public Safety Policy, Office of Campus Life

Decision-making Process
Going to the president directly is the best way to get things resolved.
 The president has delegated many decisions to vice presidents, deans and department directors. A member of the college community with a complaint or suggestion is usually better and more quickly served by dealing with the employee and his/her supervisor before asking the president to be involved. Additionally, the college's organizational ombudsperson exists as a designated neutral and impartial dispute resolution practitioner whose major function is to provide independent, confidential and informal assistance for faculty, staff and students.
 Office of the President, Guilford College Ombudsperson office
Going to the trustees directly is the best way to get things resolved.
 The college bylaws provide that, although Guilford is a very participatory and consensus-driven place, the president makes most decisions outside of the curriculum and classroom. Except for fundraising, hiring and firing the president and the evaluation of their own performance and the president's, the trustees themselves have decided only to act "on the recommendation of the president."
 Office of the President, college bylaws
The administration does not listen. Student opinions do not matter.
 Students who choose to participate by running for office, attending community meetings, becoming members of college and trustee committees (including the Strategic Long-Range Planning Committee and the Budget Committee) and sitting down with administrators and faculty to discuss issues do matter in decision-making. That the college may act differently than students would like does not mean students were not heard. Guilford is among the most open colleges in the United States in terms of public information. This is exemplified by the use of the Web site; Buzz (daily) and Beacon (weekly) e-mails; digests of all meetings of the Board of Trustees and senior staff; publication of the annual budget and independent consulting reports on dining services, the bookstore, public safety, information technology and other services; weekly open office hours for the president, vice presidents and deans; community forums on finance, planning, construction projects and student concerns; and the online publications Myths & Facts, Where to Go? Whom to Call? and Who Gets to Decide? In 2007-08, students played a major role in the rebidding process that led to a new College dining service provider.
 Office of the President, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century.

Dining Services
Students are not pleased with the food in the cafeteria.
 As is the case at most colleges and universities, Guilford College outsources its dining services. A survey at the three-week interval in the semester in 2006 showed that 46% of first-year students believed the "food is good," a substantial increase from 22% in for the previous year. Despite this improvement, as part of a normal competitive cycle, Guilford re-bid the contract in 2007, previously held by Sodexho USA. Meriwether Godsey was awarded a multi-year contract for dining services beginning in August 2008.
 Office of Institutional Research
The cafeteria is not "up to code" on health standards and therefore unsafe.
 Most of a health inspection is based on the facility and equipment. Due to dish machine issues in conjunction with other minor deductions, Dining Services had its grade lowered temporarily from an "A to B rating" in the fall of 2006. Corrective actions were taken immediately, ensuring serving items were cleaned and sanitized, with the "A rating" restored as part of the subsequent visit by the health inspector. Continuous internal regular checks by Guilford facilities and the Meriwether Godsey staff will ensure our current "A rating."
 Vice President for Finance and Administration, Dining Services

Environmental Consciousnes
In general, Guilford is not "green," nor does it strive to be.
 "Green at Guilford" is an ongoing program of environmental projects funded by a special $50,000 annual appropriation, a "Green Fund" established by the Class of 2007 and other sources. A staff-student Sustainability Committee recommended solar panels on Shore Hall, which were installed in spring 2007. The renovation of Archdale Hall received a silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program. Additionally, Guilford signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, an effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize their campuses' greenhouse gas emissions. This involves: completing an emissions inventory; within two years, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral; taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions; integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience; and making the action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available. Additionally--and contributing to Guilford's sustainability efforts--an Ethical Purchasing and Procurement Policy is currently being implemented in pilot form.
 Office of Facilities, American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century

Environmental Consciousness
Even the things thrown into the blue recycling bins goes into the trash.
 Material from the blue recycling bins around campus is either collected by house-keeping staff and piled up for the grounds crew to take to the green dumpsters or it is taken to the green dumpsters by students. Clear or see-through green bags (rather than the standard black bags) are used for recycling collection so there is no confusion about whether the bag contains trash or recycling.
 Office of Facilities, Sustainability Coordinator
Recyclables picked up from the green dumpsters go to the landfill.
 Materials from the green recycling dumpsters on campus go to FCR Material Recovery Facility (MRF) located in Greensboro. The recyclables are sorted and sold on the open market to companies that obtain these used materials in order to manufacture new products with post-consumer waste content. If a load of Guilford's recycling is picked up by the City of Greensboro and found to contain a high level of contamination (trash, food, paint, etc), FCR has no option but to refuse delivery of the contaminated load and so the contents from the green dumpsters WILL go to the landfill. Students, staff and faculty can prevent this from happening and ensure the delivery and use of Guilford's recyclables by throwing only the GAPPS (Glass, Aluminum, Paper, Plastic and Steel) into the green dumpsters.
 Office of Facilities, Sustainability Coordinator

History of College
King Hall is named after Martin Luther King.
 King Hall is named after Francis King, a Baltimore Quaker, who declined the honor of having Guilford College named after him as King College.
 Friends Historical Collection
No one knows how to pronounce the names of several buildings on campus.
 Bauman Telecommunications Center is pronounced "BAW-mun" (first syllable rhymes with "raw"), and "Hege" in "Hege Library" and "Hege-Cox Hall" is pronounced "HEG-ee" (rhymes with "Peggy"). In addition, Ragan-Brown Field House is hyphenated, and "Founders Hall" and "Mary Hobbs Hall" do not contain apostrophes.
 Guilford College Campus Map
The Duke brothers offered money to Guilford to become Duke University.
 The Duke brothers offered money to a small combined Methodist/Quaker academy in Trinity, which moved to Durham in 1892 and later became Duke University.
 Friends Historical Collection

Human Resources
Guilford is not institutionally diverse or gender balanced, nor does it strive to be.
 While additional work is necessary to increase the percentage of traditional students who are international students (1% in 2008 versus the 3% goal for 2010 in the strategic plan), In 2008, the percentage of faculty who are persons of color (19% versus a 17% goal) exceeded the averages of our peer (12%) and aspirant (17%) institutions. In 2008, the percentages of faculty (48%) and staff (63%) who were female were above the 2010 goals (46% and 58%). In 2008, the percentages of students (all) who were people of color (34%) exceeded the 2010 goal (23%) and far exceeded the averages of peer (18%) but not aspirant (35%) institutions. The strategic plan calls for 100% of faculty and staff to complete diversity and institutional racism training by 2010.
 Guilford College Assessment of Strategic Indicators 2009, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century
People who do poorly (lack of work, repeated mistakes, etc.) are not terminated, demoted or reprimanded.
 Procedures for termination are outlined in the Faculty and Staff Handbooks. During the period July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006, three employees were dismissed for work-related issues.
 Office of Human Resources, Faculty and Staff Handbooks
People who do well are not rewarded.
 During FY 2006-07 and again during FY 2007-08, a percentage of the pay raise pool has been set aside for raises (divided into two parts: 3% performance and .5% equity). Performance reviews provide input for these merit raises. Between 2003 and 2008, average salaries for continuing faculty will have increased about 28% and continuing staff about 24%, all but 2% based on merit or market equity (target of 50th percentile market salary for faculty and 45th percentile for staff by 2010). Except for a $500 bonus for full-time employees and $250 for part-time employees, salaries and wages were frozen for 2009 due to the economic crisis.
 Office of Human Resources, Faculty and Staff Handbooks
That the administration never publicly comments when an employee (or a student) is dismissed is evidence that it made a mistake or has something to hide.
 From time to time when the college has to dismiss an employee or student, there will be an outcry about the person being "railroaded," "treated unfairly" or "a victim of discrimination." The person and his or her friends may be quite vocal on the attack and the college will be silent. That may be bad for public relations and community understanding, but that is the law and college policy. The administration cannot comment publicly on student judicial cases, and will never comment on personnel matters.
 Office of Human Resources, Faculty and Staff Handbook, Office of the President

Quakerism
Guilford has many Quakers as faculty and students.
 pproximately 9% of faculty members and traditional students identify themselves as members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The strategic plan aims to maintain the proportion for both faculty and students at 9%.
 Guilford College Assessment of Strategic Indicators 2009, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century
Guilford is operated by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
 Guilford is an independent liberal arts college founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of Friends. Today, the college is neither governed nor funded institutionally by the Society of Friends, and has its own independent Board of Trustees and president. Nevertheless, the college honors many Quaker practices such as tolerance and integrity and is proud to have members of the Society of Friends among its trustees, faculty and staff, students, donors and friends. The college's strategic plan prioritizes a reconfirmation of our Quaker heritage by student and employee training, enhanced recruitment of students and staff (including the hiring of an admission officer who will focus on Quaker student recruitment) and closer ties with yearly meetings.
 College bylaws, The Strategic Plan for Guilford College 2005-2010: Creative Leadership for the 21st Century
Flying the American flag at Guilford is prohibited.
 Honoring the Quaker tradition against a prominent display of symbols, Guilford does not have a flagpole. However, flags of many nations have been displayed in Ragan-Brown Field House and in display cases in Hege Library. Both the United Nations and American flag fly in Ragan-Brown. The American flag has been displayed on the athletic fields, and college employees and students have displayed the American flag at their desks, in office windows, on their cars, in the residence halls and in other ways.
 Campus Ministry, Office of the President
Most decisions at Guilford are not made by consensus, but rather by managers.
 Many decisions regarding faculty and educational matters are decided using consensus in faculty departments, committees and the full faculty. The Strategic Long-Range Planning Committee, Community Senate, CCE Student Government Association and the Staff Organization all operate by consensus. Administrative decisions are made by administrators consistent with their position descriptions on file in the Office of Human Resources.
 Faculty Handbook, Office of Human Resources

Value
Guilford cannot compete for students with public colleges or Elon University.
 Students look at a variety of factors in choosing a college. In 2007, 22% of students accepted by Guilford enrolled. In the falls of 2005 and 2006, Guilford lost a majority of head-to-head competitions for students with Appalachian State University, Earlham College, Elon, James Madison University, North Carolina State University, UNC Asheville, UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Greensboro. Among the institutions that lost a majority of competitions with Guilford in either fall 2005 or fall 2006 were East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, High Point University, Lenoir-Ryne College, Bard College, Goucher College, Emory & Henry College, College of Wooster, Averett University and Virginia Commonwealth University.
 Office of Admission
Guilford is expensive.
 While Guilford's total student fees (tuition, instructional fees, room and board) in 2008-09 were about $33,000 per year, many first-year traditional students received financial aid from the college that averaged over $10,000 in 2008, not including other aid available through the State of North Carolina (for residents) and federal government. At $26,030 in 2008-09, traditional student fees (not including room and board) were below the averages of peer ($27,354) and aspirant ($32,298) institutions; CCE fees are at the mid-point of the competitive market.
 Office of Admission
Since the cost of a Guilford education is about $33,000 per year, traditional students and parents should expect more for their money.
 Academic programs and administrative services should always be first rate. Guilford offers a small, unique and academically challenging environment with dedicated faculty who stress applied learning and Principled Problem Solving. Traditional students may receive federal or state aid and/or a financial aid award from the college. Moreover, tuition, room and board fees currently represent about 78% of the actual operational cost of education, including faculty salaries, financial aid, counseling and career services, information technology, student services, security, academic support, maintenance and everything else it takes to run a college. (Most of these services are not available to CCE students, which explains why they pay less than traditional students do.) The remaining 22% of the cost is funded by annual gifts, endowment income, government aid and other sources. This means that no traditional student at Guilford--whether aided or paying the full 'sticker price' of $33,000 for tuition, room, and board fees--pays the full cost of his/her education that is now approximately $42,000 per year.
 Office of Financial Aid, Vice President for Finance and Administration

Finance & Administration

Myth
 Fact
 Source

Budget
All significant budget decisions are made by vice presidents and the president; the Budget Committee is window dressing.
 The Budget Committee is chaired by a faculty member. Its membership includes the vice presidents and deans, faculty, staff and students. The president has accepted 100% of the committee's recommendations for the last five fiscal year budgets. The committee solicits (and uses) input from the campus community through open forums, e-mail communication, etc.
 Budget Committee minutes, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Budgets have been declining for years.
 The college's operating budget has increased in 14 of the last 16 years through FY 2007-08. Total operating expenses for those years range from $27.4 million in FY 1993-94 to an estimated $61.4 million in FY 2006-07. The approved FY 2007-08 operating budget was about $64 million. The increases, starting in FY 2002-03, were for both operating and salary and wage increases.
 Vice President for Finance and Administration
Funds expended on capital projects in athletics routinely exceeds those expended on academics/other projects.
 Of the $25 million allocated to capital projects between 2002 and 2009, about 12% has been for athletics, 48% for student services and housing, and 24% for the academic program.
 Vice President for Finance and Administration
Guilford College is "rich."
 Like most private colleges, Guilford struggles to maintain first-rate academic programs and student services with limited resources. Its spending per student trails most competitor institutions because of its small administrative and support staff, relatively small endowment (approximately $65 million, of which only 5% can be spent per year and often only for donor-restricted purposes) and market-driven student fees. The college had balanced budgets for three consecutive years ending In FY 2005-06 after years of chronic deficits. The FY 2007-08 budget was also balanced and the college is en route to a balanced budget in FY 2008-09. However, the FY 2006-07 budget had a $1 million deficit mainly due to enrollment shortfalls in the CCE program.
Vice President for Finance and Administration; annual operating budgets

Human Resources
The Human Resources Office decides most benefit issues.
 Human Resources does not select insurance providers. The Benefits Committee makes recommendations and the president makes the final decision.
 Office of Human Resources policies and practices, Faculty Handbook
The Human Resources Office decides most personnel matters.
 Human Resources is a service function and, as such, does not decide raises, holidays (Benefits Committee recommendation, president's decision), new position authorizations (Budget Committee for budgeted authorization, president for temporary out-of-budget authorizations), hiring, promotions, probations, terminations, etc., which are the purview of managers. Additionally, the Compensation Control Group, which includes the dean of academic affairs, vice president for finance and administration and director of human resources, meets regularly to review issues such as salary equity.
 Office of Human Resources policies and practices, Faculty and Staff Handbooks

Parking
Parking is neither organized nor enforced.
 Parking lots are color-coded with appropriate signage and permits. A computerized parking system was installed in 2005, and includes software to better track permits, fines and registration. Additionally, two public safety staff assigned to parking enforcement were added that year. Students can register their cars online, and the Office of Public Safety has open office hours to hear parking-fine appeals once a week. Approximately 1,200 tickets were written during the 2005-06 academic year. Warnings will be given the first day of classes again this year and ticketing will begin on the second day of classes.
 Office of Public Safety

The Early College at Guilford
Early College students eat in the dining hall for free and receive free books, tuition and access to college facilities.
 Students and their families pay for meal plans, parking, gym access, etc. Guilford County Schools System pays Guilford College for textbooks and tuition on an annual basis. The per-student amount paid has increased significantly over the last two years.
 Early College, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Guilford paid for the modular classroom building used by the Early College.
 Guilford County Schools paid for the modular classroom facility and all set-up costs. The school district also paid for landscaping and brickwork surrounding the building and shared in the cost of additional parking spaces.
 Early College, Vice President for Finance and Administration