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Sunday 22-Nov-09
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Athletic Fee
During the 1996-97 academic years, a review of athletic programs was conducted due to the difficult financial situation the Athletic Program found it in. Up until 1991, the Athletic Program was a part of Academic Affairs. As coaches who were originally hired to both coach and teach moved back entirely into the classroom, the dollars designated for coaching went toward teaching. Due to the separation of the Athletic Program from the Physical Education Department and Academic Affairs, Athletic was left to provide 15 varsity sports with scarce funding consisting primarily of part-time coaches and very small operating and travel budgets. Numerous complaints came in from student athletes and their parents about additional funds the athletes needed to expend in order to participate in these sports. As the University went through several years of budget reductions, Athletics was a favored target. Due to increasing needs in other areas, Athletics saw a 7% reduction in funding between the years 1991-1995. Application for provisional membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1994-95 was due to a desire to access greater financial resources to assist in funding the successful sports programs for which Central had become known. Students were already contributing approximately 20% of the Services and Activities Fee allocation funds to support Athletics. Winter Quarter 1997, a student committee chaired by the President of the Associated Students of Central Washington University reviewed the performance of student-athletes, both academically and athletically, as well as financial records of the Athletic Program. Several sports were recommended for elimination in 1998-1999: wrestling, baseball, men's soccer, and men's and women's cross-country. A Faculty Committee, reviewing the same records, recommended no reduction in sports. A Student Athletic Committee recommended the establishment of mandatory fee, which all students at the Ellensburg campus would pay. Approximately 1,500 signatures were obtained from students in order to place a referendum in front of the entire student body to determine whether sports would be cut or a mandatory quarterly fee would be implemented. It was determined that in order to maintain the Athletic Program at its current level, funding would have to be cut from some or all of the following Student Affairs programs: Disabled Student Services, Career Development Services, Wildcat Wellness, Financial Aid, the Center for Student Empowerment and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Already anticipating a 5% reduction in funds due to tight budgets, the only solution would be to cut the five athletic programs mentioned earlier. In the largest voter turn out for an ASCWU-BOD election and vote on a referendum, students voted 3: 1 to tax them in order to ensure that the same level of athletic opportunities, which currently existed on campus, would be maintained. The referendum vote was forwarded to the Central Washington University Board of Trustees who voted to approve implementation of a mandatory fee of $35.00 per quarter for all students.
Benefits
The primary benefits of this new fee were that students would be able to attend all home games for free rather than having to pay between $2.00 and $4.00 per game. In addition, five varsity sports would not have to be cut due to lack of funding. On an individual basis, the additional resources generated by the fee would provide student athletes the opportunity to eat balanced meals while traveling on the road for away games. Most importantly, one of the reasons students indicated they were attracted to Central was because of the opportunity to compete athletically while working on an academic program. For a number of students, the contribution to campus life that athletics played was an important part of the collegiate experience. Learning experiences focusing on teamwork, self worth, decision making, citizenship and emotional growth were critical outcomes students felt student-athletes contributed to campus, life. For the almost 500 student-athletes on campus, their academic performance annually outstrips the academic performance of non-athletes. In fact, the graduation rate of student-athletes is higher than non-athletes.
Requests for Exemptions
No request for exemptions will be approved for students attending the Ellensburg campus. All oral concerns should be directed to the ASCWU-BOD office in 116 Samuelson Union Building, MS: 7448. All written complaints should be directed to the attention of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, 204 Bouillon Hall, MS: 7432. |
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