The members of the Academic Senate at the University of California-Berkeley approved a resolution last week to end to central campus financial support for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA). The resolution also asks for DIA to repay a $5.8 million loan from the University last year, and asks Chancellor Robert Birgeneau to encourage private donors to prioritize academics over athletics.

The Senate’s resolution came in response to recent revelations that the department had received millions of dollars in recent years from student fees and from a discretionary fund controlled by Birgeneau.
 
At the meeting, many professors said the resolution aims to ensure that academics remain the focus of the University’s funding.

"This resolution is not about athletes or athletics," said anthropology professor Laura Nader, one of eight faculty signatories to the resolution. "The resolution is about priorities . . . Will our world-class public university put entertainment ahead of education?"
 
However, campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof said the two were not mutually exclusive.
"A robust intercollegiate athletics program does not stand in the way of private philanthropy," he said. "Of the 137 donors who pledged at least $10,000 to the new student athlete high performance center, 123 combined to donate more than $108 million to the academic side of campus."
 
Many involved believed a more in-depth study of the University’s finances needed to be conducted before making any decisions.


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