The Rotunda

Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Opinion

Last year I wrote an editorial, which turned the heads of the usual suspects in terms of whose heads you would expect to turn if someone said something bad about Longwood-only problem was, I did not believe that I had. The issue was the fact that a whopping 48 percent of Longwood's student Comprehensive Fees from tuition goes to athletics; now with overwhelming budget cuts sweeping through yet again, it seems this issue has struck another chord-only this time it is with professors.

In order to serve the purpose of the institution it has been proposed that any tuition increases for the 2011 school year be made cost-neutral by reducing the athletic component of the Comprehensive Fee. This means the student tuition would stay at least approximately the same or see only a modest increase with the money that would be needed coming out of what would normally go to athletics.

So we benefit new non-athlete students and make things harder for students on campus, athlete or not. Student athletes are at an obvious disadvantage with a cut to athletics, but everyone else is too. If athletics slows down or loses part of its image then the whole school will suffer. Like many have said, Longwood moving to Division I was a good boost for the school's image and taking away from that will hurt us.

While nothing of the sort was proposed at the Academic Affairs Committee about it, it was suggested lowering that part of the fee could force the University to scale back our Division I program. Apparently this was discussed as a possible side effect of the loss of funding. Okay. While last year I expressed my distress at the fact so much of my money went to athletics I really do not want that to happen. I would rather pay more money and stay at D-I.

The whole point in going D-I was to associate Longwood with the other fourteen D-I schools in Virginia, which hold similar educational philosophies, standards of admission, and intercollegiate athletics goals. In addition the school wanted to bring in more diverse student-athletes, and raise the public profile and visibility of the University.

Longwood has succeeded at this and more since becoming D-I and the focus of the program has been in line with the core mission of this University since day one (although some might not think so). It was explained best to me as making sure student athletes get the life lessons they need on the field, in the classroom, and in life. It's not about one aspect of Longwood, academics or athletics, being more important than another, because it's all part of making the student be the best they can be-a citizen leader.

Continued...

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