I’m down at KVNU this morning working for Al Lewis and read a news story about USU seeking a $65/semester student fee increase to increase the athletics budget.
What goes through my head?
OH HELL NO!
Of any department on campus, athletics has perhaps the single best ability to do their own fundraising. As such, it is entirely unfair for them to seek placing an additional burden on students to fund what many would argue are non-essential programs.
Right now, if you take more than 10 credits at USU you pay $56.75 in student fees. That’s out of a total of a little more than $300. WIth a $65 increase that would make athletics a recipient of about $120 of $360 in fees, by far the largest portion. To compare, the library only gets $16 of fees, computer labs $60 and a building fee is $70. Music and theater, meanwhile, get just $5.50.
I’m a fan of athletics. I like sports. But in a time when students are arguing against tuition increases (although I favor increasing tuition as a way to balance budget cuts) it is asinine to ask for a student fee increase like this. Moreover, this is not a good time to come and ask for this.
An election will be held for students to vote on this issue in March, but traditionally few students vote in these elections. I hope that students will rise up and not buy into any theatrics that athletics department puts up such as “we may lose football” or “if you want the basketball program to continue” as bait to get ignorant students to vote FOR this massive increase.
Just as we say no to increased taxes, students must fight to keep their fees in check. A fee increase is fine, but let it enhance the academic experience. Let athletics go out and raise their own money.
Raising the fee for sports is acceptable under ONE CONDITION only. If the fee was an “a la carte” fee–meaning, if students can wave the fee and not be granted free attendence to games.
Those who want free attendence(and if you pay a fee, it is not free) should put money in the hat.
This is what you get when our political leaders get elected simply because they have an R next to their name. Maybe after putting up blankets to hide liquor in restaurants and expunging those funny gay people from Utah, Salt Lake can put some effort into making this state somewhat more intellectual.
You want to make money for the university? Fine every student who talks on a cell phone in the library $20. In a week, you would have enough money to open a medical school
If the students are smart they would vote this down. How this got past the trustee’s I will never know. The student trustee should have really pushed against this. But if Athletics is having a hard time getting funds from boosters then it needs to re-evaluate it’s program not spend more. Throwing money at their problems won’t fix it.
I’m amazed USU would feel it appropriate to demand more $ for the ATHLETICS program of all things.
Sure…600 jobs can go, but any increased $ USU recieves goes to…ATHLETICS ??
McFly ?