This is a part of our Cardinal Way project on promoting civil discussions.
The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors holds a particular assembly at present to behave on a proposal to extend spending on intercollegiate athletics as a technique to preserve the college’s groups aggressive within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Part of that proposal includes growing mandatory student fees for athletics by $100 a yr over the subsequent three years, from $732 now to $1,032 by 2029.
We requested readers to weigh in. Here’s a consultant pattern of what a few of them needed to say.
Is it acceptable for state-supported schools to charge a mandatory student payment for intercollegiate athletics on the grounds that such sports activities contribute to the general faculty expertise?
No. If the athletes weren’t being paid, possibly it might be OK; nevertheless, faculty athletics are merely decrease degree skilled sports activities equal to minor-league sports activities groups. The Big Ten and the SEC are equal NFL triple AAA leagues in baseball. Therefore, they need to be capable of financially help themselves not ask for help from college students.
Kenneth St Clair, Salem
I don’t assume that Virginia Tech will be criticized for elevating mandatory fees to $1032.00 when the opposite universities in Virginia are charging considerably extra on this space.
Robert Tilley, Salem
No, particularly since most college students aren’t even in a position to receive tickets particularly to soccer video games on the similar time, the athletes are offered free tuition, room & board, fees and are getting paid as nicely.
Jose Simon, Allisonia
Yes, student fees, when reasonable by comparative measures. Student athletes deliver range to a student physique as Honors Student Programs fund a restricted variety of enrolled college students.
Richard J. Nagel Jr., Fairfax County
Students already pay a substantial athletic fees and the proposed enhance for the approaching faculty yr is excessive!
Doug Howard, Lebanon
[Intercollegiate athletics] are extraordinarily vital to the college and the native financial system. I believe that supporting skilled athletics groups is considerably opposite to the mission of the college. I additionally query the choice to tremendously enhance spending on skilled athletics throughout a time when the federal and state authorities are lowering their funding in increased training. Nonetheless, the college is nearly pressured to proceed on this method to stay within the “neighborhood” of its peer universities. That is an unlucky actuality. . . . I’m a proud alumnus of Virginia Tech, and have been a supporter of the athletic program for a long time. I ended my monetary help a few years in the past when the sports activities groups turned extra or much less skilled groups with big roster turnover annually. I’d love for Virginia Tech to be a chief by refusing to proceed pouring sources into supporting skilled sports activities groups, however I don’t assume that’s a real looking possibility. In my opinion the rise in mandatory student fees is an insignificant challenge within the dialogue of athletics and its position on the college. The bigger query is how a lot additional ought to academic establishments journey down this path which has nothing to do with the core mission of the college.
Robert Tilley, Salem
The present insurance policies/setting with athletes being paid and with the ability to go to the very best bidder goes to destroy faculty athletics. We will find yourself with 5 or six groups in a couple of conferences that clobber everybody else and win all the pieces.
Jose Simon, Allisonia
I believe paid athletics ought to be separated from the tutorial facet of school and college. Athletic packages with paid gamers and with athletic scholarships ought to stand on their very own with out contribution from the tutorial facet of the faculty/college.
Frederick Reynolds, Lynchburg
Maybe they need to have student fees to help STEM analysis, music, and the humanities.
Felicia Etzkorn, Blacksburg