I was excited to see a column purporting to “break down” student activity fees. A couple of hundred for technology and the Wallman Center leaves over $400.00 unaccounted for. Nowhere in the writing was there any mention of exactly what level students are supporting the athletic department.

From what I understand, it is considerable (60 percent or $360 per semester are the figures I have heard). Those fees contribute $3,000,000.00 per year (7 percent of the athletic budget) and are onerus.

Students are coughing up $1,300.00 a year or $5,200.00 over four years for something many find irrelevant or downright needless. Just this year, athletics sought an increase of 35 percent for their department that was (thankfully) denied by the Student Advisory Board.

Does (over)charging students really serve the needs of a land grant educational institution? Should students be bearing the costs for programs that have fractional participation? I have been asking this question for three years now and not seen any answers.

The athletic department isn’t exactly transparent with this issue. I’ll ask again, what percentage of student fees go straight into the athletic department? Anyone?

P.S. please don’t hide behind health and wellness; how much goes to the jocks?

Michael Black