Posted: 12/1/09
In
this economy, a job is a job is a job . . . but I wouldn't wish a
position at the University of California-Berkeley's Office of Public
Affairs . . .
The UC Office of Public Affairs, which declares its
mission as "enhanc[ing] communications and relationships with UC
Berkeley's many constituents," is lately tasked with handling a series
of escalating events, including
budget cuts and nationally covered student
protests . . .
In what will surely account for more sleepless nights at the public
affairs office, a new debate has emerged from within UC Berkeley's
Academic Senate over the
university's priorities of academia versus
athletics.
On November 5, the Academic Senate
voted 91-68 to approve a non-binding resolution that recommends UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau end campus subsidies to the
Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
(DIA), as well as end DIA's deficit spending, and include coaches in
the full furlough program facing UC Berkeley professors and staff.
Additionally, the resolution "recommends that the chancellor and the
development staff urge donors to prioritize academics at the Berkeley
campus."
Academic programs have suffered massive
budget cuts, and the subsidies offered to DIA (through the chancellor's
discretionary spending, in the case of UC Berkeley) are considered by
many to be misappropriated.
Perhaps the resolution, co-signed by eight university professors, might not be as newsworthy if it was not for the 21-page "
FAQ"
that UC Berkeley Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour
released before the Academic Senate vote.
Barbour's intention with the
FAQ was to present "ample evidence regarding the tangible and
intangible benefits of a robust Athletics program; our careful
stewardship of precious resources . . . and the steps we are taking
towards our long-term, aspirational goal of financial
self-sufficiency."
In an effort to be transparent, Barbour
presented the DIA's budget numbers for this fiscal year and the next,
compared to recent years. According to the FAQ, in addition to DIA's
"institutional support" (chancellor support and student registration
fees), the department has run annual deficits, backed by university
loans and repaid through fiscal year 2007, when Chancellor Birgeneau
forgave DIA its $31.4 million debt to the university. Barbour insists
that the deficits projected for this year and next, $12.2 million,
"will be repaid in the future from external sources of revenue."
A recent
article
from Inside Higher Ed provides more evidence of the disappointment felt
by some in the academic community at UC Berkeley over what they feel is
a prioritization of athletics over academia: Customarily, the library
on campus stays open 24 hours during finals week, but not this semester
-- the university cited a "lack of funds."
Though a donor ultimately
offered to cover the operating costs to continue the tradition, Brian
Barsky, a professor of computer science at UC Berkeley and co-signer of
the resolution, was dissatisfied.
"Apparently the chancellor
couldn't find the funds to keep the library open even though the cost
was a fraction of 1 percent of what he takes out of his discretionary
funds to subsidize Intercollegiate Athletics," Barsky told Inside
Higher Ed.
"The amount was less than what the football team pays to the
local luxury hotel where it stays on the eve of each home game. What
does that say about the priorities of this great institution, the best
public university in the country?"
The day after the Academic
Senate voted to approve the Intercollegiate Athletics resolution, the
Bay Area public radio program "
Forum"
hosted a discussion on the UC Berkeley sports budget issue . . . The
program focused on a central question: What is the core mission of the
university, and is athletics a component to that mission, particularly
within the context of such dire fiscal constraints?
During
the program, Barbour pointed out that institutional support for DIA has
been cut by 20 percent, and that the department is "sharing the pain"
with the rest of campus in the face of state budget cuts to higher
education.
When discussing why DIA couldn't impose more drastic cuts,
Barbour insisted that athletic department spending cuts need to be
addressed nationwide.
According to the FAQ she released on behalf of
DIA, a 2009 NCAA study showed that only 25 of more than 300 programs at
the Division 1 level generated a surplus; put another way, the vast
majority of athletic programs are in the same boat as UC Berkeley.
Barbour says that if UC Berkeley's athletics department had to pay its
own way, it would no longer be competitive, which would go "against
Berkeley's principle of excellence."
Both Mogulof and Barbour
also made clear that the institutional support for DIA is largely
directed toward the university's compliance with Title IX and
commitment to gender equity. According to the FAQ, only the men's
football and basketball teams generate a profit, so the net cost of the
14 women's teams, around $8 million, are covered in large part by
annual institutional support.
In terms of the university
assessing the competing priorities of academics and athletics, Mogulof
admitted there are differing, even "religious" views of what a great
university should be. He said the chancellor believes that academics,
research, and education are at the heart of at a great school, but that
that vision includes more than just academics.
He likened a great
university to a small town, with a "variety of endeavors that span the
spectrum of human expression, human interest and human knowledge."
Mogulof insisted that the arts and athletics are key components of an
excellent university.
In this rest of the world this sport is called football.
Rightardia comment: Rightardia supports university athletics, but recommends universities take a hard look at the gold plated football programs. Hofsta University recently recently ended its football program because of the expense. Of interest, it is trying to help the the
84 student athletes on the team find other schools and scolarship programs.
Hofstra could probably start new men's and women's soccer programs for less money than it would take to operate the now defunct men's football team. Certainly the equipment and uniform costs alone would be substantially less.
A typical soccer team has 18 team members and the competition for elite players would be a lot less intense than for football players that Division 1 universities covet. In addition, soccer is an international sport. American foootball is a national US sport.
source:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/01/scholastic-smackdown-academics-vs-sports-in-california-funding/
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