A-10 cost ignites student fee debate

The recent student vote conducted on the possible student activities fee increase did not sufficiently portray positive aspects of the change, Steve Watson, director of intercollegiate athletics, said. Watson said the increase needs to be put into action for the athletics department to survive.

In February, St. Bonaventure University began to consider an increase in the student activities fee that would take effect beginning in the fall 2009 semester. The current student activities fee is $865 and has not changed since 2005. The increase would charge students an additional $125, of which $100 would go to athletics, according to a Feb. 27 article in The Bona Venture.

After midterm break, a my.sbu.edu online survey gave students the ability to voice their opinions on the increase by voting yes or no. Students who participated in the online vote voted against the increase.

"This isn't about us trying to build a Taj Mahal or go above or beyond what is necessary," Watson said. "We're trying to survive and we're competing with some great schools and some great athletic programs. We need to be able to fund these programs and that's what this is about."

Sabrina Maddeaux, SGA president, said she didn't find the voting process effective for students.

"I don't think there was enough communication," Maddeaux said. "It was a little rushed and I think had there been more time for athletics to get its side out or us to better communicate to students the benefits, there would have been a better chance of it passing."

Watson said the increase is necessary to accommodate various rising costs in the Atlantic 10 conference.

"What has happened over the course of the last few years is our expenses have gone up significantly and just the cost to compete in the Atlantic 10 has gone up," Watson said. "We've added Charlotte and Saint Louis to the conference and traveling to Charlotte is a little different than traveling to Duquesne. You can't just get on a bus, necessarily. The cost of travel itself has gone up significantly."

While 14 percent of the student body consists of student-athletes who would directly benefit from the increase, Watson said he believes the university's athletic experience positively impacts the entire student body.

"We're competing at a high level, the students have not paid for tickets, they get great seats in the Reilly Center for men's and women's basketball," he said. "All of our sports are competitive and I think all of our students benefit from either competing or watching some good athletics."

Watson said the fee increase will allow the university to maintain its high quality and quantity of student participation in athletic events.

"I never want to have a student go into their pocket to pay for a ticket to get access to a basketball game," Watson said. "I think that's part of our history. You show your ID at the door and you come in and watch the games."

Although he understands not every student is involved or interested in student athletics, Watson said he recognizes the large number of students who are.

"I would be foolish to believe everyone is involved in athletics either as a student-athlete or a fan," Watson said. "But, a good number of our students are involved and support it in a lot of different ways."

Watson said the athletics department is serious about recognizing the passion of the student body and is doing everything in its power to support the students.

"We want to recognize the students for the support they're providing to the athletics programs," Watson said. "As a result, we're going to treat the SGA like one of our corporate sponsors . to fit the need of the students."

Maddeaux said because the fee hasn't increased since 2005, SGA's funding hasn't been able to adjust to changing scenarios.

"Our funding hasn't gone up with inflation, it hasn't really gone up with the number of students to serve," Maddeaux said. "So this will really bring our budget to the appropriate amount it should be for modern times."

Maddeaux said she hopes SGA and the athletics department can utilize the increased fee to work together and provide more activities for students.

"If we put on events like 'Circus for a Cure,' maybe we can get more student athletes out to that," Maddeaux said. "And in turn, we want to help them with some tailgates for games and increasing attendance at games, and not just men's basketball."

Students are also encouraged to voice any personal questions or concerns about the possible increase with Watson or other members of the athletics department, Watson said.

"We're open to feedback," he said. "I encourage students to come by if they have questions about this ... I'd be more than happy to talk about it."

Watson pushed the importance of passing the fee increase in order to keep St. Bonaventure aloft in the A- 10 conference.

"This is important for us," he said. "If we want to continue to compete at this level, this is critical."
e-mail: klinglls@sbu.edu