blog

Frustrated students at Eastern Washington University criticized the proportion of student fees that go to their athletics program, revealing an emerging trend of putting athletics under the microscope as universities around the country tighten their belts.

Students gathered at the Nov. 4 open forum on the allocation of the EWU Services and Activities (SA) fee, which revealed that the entire fee—nearly $3.2 million—funds only five different programs.

The Easterner reported the funding scheme: “the [Associated Students of Eastern Washington University], which receives 47.45 percent of available funds; athletics, 47 percent; The Easterner, 3.3 percent; child care, 2 percent; and C.A.R.E., .25 percent.”

14 different athletics programs are funded with almost $1.5 million of SA money. The money supports a total of 300 student athletes—about 2 percent of the student body.

Some say that other programs are more deserving of funds. One student at the forum voiced her concern that EWU child care should get better support.

“We’ve actually had to go to food banks to feed our family,” said student and parent Merri Schulz said. “I know [child care services] are bending over backwards to help parents, but they should get more support in doing so.”

ASEWU Vice President of Finance Patrick Spanner said that the funding structure does not have to be this way.

“The ASEWU for the past few years has been looking at an athletic fee or another way to support athletics,” Spanner said. “If the students wanted [the ASEWU] to push for a fee or something else to get the funding to athletics, we’re more than happy to go that route.”

Last week, a similar level of scrutiny befell the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of California-Berkeley. The Academic Senate passed a resolution to cut off university funding of the program, and asked the DIA to repay a $5.8 million loan from the University last year.

UC-Berkeley Anthropology Professor Laura Nader said that the resolution was about putting education before “entertainment.”

More from the Easterner at Eastern Washington University
More from the National Student News Service