The Appalachian
State University Board of Trustees (BOT) will meet next week to
discuss the proposed athletic fee increase, which groups such as
the Faculty Senate unanimously oppose.
Four total fees can be increased or decreased as the university
chooses. These are the athletic, student activities, health services
and educational and technology fees. All go to benefit the university
and its students in some fashion, Vice Chancellor for Student Development
Dr. Gregory S. Blimling said Saturday.
“From the faculty perspective, athletics are only complimentary
to academics and are not a part of the university’s function
of educating North Carolina’s young people,” Faculty Senate
chairperson Dr. Paul H. Gates Jr. said.
“This athletics fee proposal is set against the backdrop of
a state budget deficit of at least $2 billion for 2003. Students
would be hurt if the fee increases; they will suffer cuts to academics
while they pay a higher athletic fee, which puts the total cost
of their education higher than last year while they receive less
… to preserve the reduced level of education they’re getting
this year,” Gates said.
However, the senate is not completely against future improvements
in athletic facilities.
“Even the improvements that are not outlandish should still
be managed by private organizations,” Gates said. “Private
money can be targeted at specialized projects [such as these proposed
improvements].
“The academic spending should come first, and that money should
not be used for athletics, when it only benefits a limited number
of students.”
The faculty does not support spending enormous amounts of student
money on athletics when the university has far more pressing needs,
Gates said.
A letter from Gates to BOT chairman Glenn W. Wilcox Sr. asks the
board to help keep Appalachian’s priorities straight and vote
against an irresponsible fundraising and spending scheme.
“The timing is poor and … student costs are going up,
and it is a poor time to increase student fees from something not
used for academic purposes,” faculty senator Joan B. Woodworth,
a professor in the department of psychology, said Saturday.
Despite the differing reasons the senators give, all agree that
the timing is unfortunate, said T. Patrick Rardin, an associate
professor in the department of philosophy and religion.
The faculty senators believe they represent the views of the vast
majority of the faculty. The timing for such proposals, in light
of the current economic status of the state, is shamelessly poor,
according to the letter.
The senate also commented they and the faculty at large are confident
the BOT has the best interests of the university at heart, and that
they will not make any decisions to undermine those interests, according
to the letter.
The vast majority of improvements proposed focuses mainly on football
and Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Some of these include a plan for 5,000 additional seats in the stadium.
“I don’t think they need 5,000 more seats in a stadium
that we have trouble filling,” Gates said. |
