|
Interim President Ray Kieft addressed concern about Metro’s
Intercollegiate Athletics program Monday when he announced the program
will continue with a stronger focus on recruiting in-state students.
This announcement came after a month of public outcry on the livelihood
of the athletics department after Kieft and Metro’s Board of
Trustees discussed the validity of the program at a retreat in October.
 |
|
by William C. Moore - The Metropolitan
|
| Metro senior Shawna Gilbert hugs her mom during
ceremonies to thank the parents of the players, held before a
game Nov. 7. In a vote taken last week, 70 percent of students
voted in favor of keeping athletics. |
Kieft also cited the results of a recent online survey, conducted
from Nov. 6 to Nov. 20, which asked students their thoughts on the
athletics fee students pay every year as part of the cost of attending
school.
For the first question: “Do you favor continuing Metro’s
athletic program by continuing to pay your athletics fee?” 69.87
percent of the students voted yes. Student Trustee Harris Singer said
the results showed an overwhelming support for the athletics department.
“The survey will demonstrate that many students are willing
to pay for this program,” he said. “As a student and a
trustee on the board of trustees, I hear many students ask, ‘Why
do we pay this fee?’, but with (the survey) it shows that despite
that, there are a handful of students who do want to support this
program.”
A total of 4,089 students participated in the survey, which was conducted
online through personal e-mails and through the Banner Web service.
Each student was only able to participate in the survey once.
Singer, who was appointed by the board to get student input on the
athletics department, said the results also displayed that students
do not want to see any change in the fee itself.
For the second question: “Do you favor increasing your athletics
fee by an amount not to exceed $10 per semester?” Of those who
participated, 51.41 percent voted no. Nearly the same percentage of
students who voted — 51.19 — didn’t want to see
the fee go elsewhere with the third question: “Would you vote
for using your athletics fee to support college programs and activities
other than athletics?”
Singer said there was a reason why he surveyed students about the
fee and not the athletics department in general.
“The reason I focused on the fee with the survey is to gain
practical insight into how students support the athletics program,”
he said. “That would help me and the board and Dr. Kieft right
away; practically, how you, the students support it financially --
rather than sentimentally.”
Kieft said that with the release of the results along with his announcement
that the athletics department would stay, there would be no special
public hearing at the Dec. 3 board of trustees meeting, as was previously
announced.
The decision to increase the number of in-state students as opposed
to out-of-state students from a ratio of 2 to 1 to 4 to 1 was a collaborative
decision between Kieft and Athletic Director Joan McDermott.
McDermott said the decision is beneficial in that it’s cost-saving
for the athletics department.
“This cost-saving measure, along with an increase of fund-raising
efforts, will reduce the athletics department’s reliance on
general fund and tuition dollars,” she said.
Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Dunlap disagrees. He thinks this
decision is wrong because it simply won’t help.
“Don’t tell me that Metro is going to be a better institution
because of this policy on in-state students versus out-of-state,”
he said. “The athletics department has enrichened this school
with that out-of-state diversity. Our off-continent recruitment at
this school has enrichened this institution.”
Joe Arcese, who was Vice President of Administration & Finance
from 1989 to 2002, agrees that neither the school, nor the department
will save money with this decision.
“The school doesn’t gain anything financially by getting
rid of an out-of-state student, but they lose the status of a really
good student coming in and hyping up that sport in the community,”
he said. “Let’s say they have more in-state students,
well then they’re going to be giving less money in scholarships,
but you lose that (tuition) income too.”
According to Arcese, the amount of money the school gives as a scholarship
comes back as a tuition income, so when you have more in-state students
versus out-of-state students, the school is giving them less money
for scholarships, which in turn is less money for tuition income.
Arcese said that while the school would get an increase in state money
for recruiting in-state students, it’s not that easy to recruit
in-state students here to Metro.
“If a student has the option to go to Metro or UNC where there’s
housing, it’s much more difficult to bring that student to Metro
because there is no housing,” Arcese said.
Dunlap said he not only doesn’t understand the decision, but
that it infuriates him because it’s somehow political and hurts
the college beyond the athletic department.
“One of the things that’s not being said is that as this
college is evolving, it’s becoming a more traditional campus,”
Dunlap said. “It’s like a river and (the board is) trying
to put a dam in front of that.”
Singer said he sees the survey not only as beneficial for the athletic
department, but for the school in general.
“Hopefully, this will bring more support and involvement to
our intercollegiate athletics program,” he said.
“I’m hoping that the closer relationship that is being
formed between academics, athletics and student affairs will get many
more students to actively support and participate in the intercollegiate
athletic program and intramural sports.”
“And this is mainly by going to our games home and (away) and
supporting Metro State College.”
Singer said the athletic department will probably not re-appear on
the board’s agenda anytime soon.
Any further concerns about the athletic department should be addressed
to Kieft first and foremost, and the board, if desired.
Results of Online Athletic Survey
Question 1: Do you favor continuing Metro’s athletic
program by continuing to pay your athletics fee?
Yes 69.87% 2,857
No 30.03% 1,228
Question 2: Do you favor increasing your athletics fee by
an amount not to exceed $10 per semester?
Yes 48.45% 1,981
No 51.41% 2,102
Question 3: Would you vote for using your athletics fee to
support College programs and activities other than athletics?
Yes 48.4% 1,979
No 51.19% 2,093
|
