Student leaders oppose athletic fee increase

Feb. 20, Winston-Salem State's Student Government Association distributed copies of a letter that Student Body President Robert Terrell Stephens sent on Feb. 11 to WSSU Chancellor Donald L. Reaves.

The letter contains seven request of the student body to the chancellor, the last of which addresses an increase in students' athletic fees. The increase, which will be enacted prior to the 2008-09 school year, calls for students to pay $579.80 total in athletic fees, an increase of $18 (per semester) more than the current school year's fee.

"There's few of us who play, and a lot of us who pay," Stephens said.

In the letter, Stephens recommends that at most, the fees increase by $10. Since WSSU announced it would leave the NCAA's Division II in the fall of 2004, students have seen a continuing increase of athletic fees. In 2005-06, the school's last year in Division II, full-time students were charged an athletic fee of $416. In 2006-07, the school's first year of Division I, athletic fees increased to $444. For the current 2007-08 school year, students are being charged $544 total.

According to the letter, the SGA is displeased with the chancellor for what they feel is a disregard of their opinion. The letter claims that Reaves disregarded the students opinions expressed last fall regarding the The letter states, in part: "You had at your disposal minutes from a Tuition and Fees Student Town Hall Forum which took place Nov. 26, 2007, audio recording the student feedback, in which students were vehemently opposed to an increase, as well as minutes from the Tuition and Fee Committee, which recommended at most a $10 increase, with specific fundraising suggestions for the department of athletics."

WSSU Director of Athletics Dr. Percy "Chico" Caldwell said that the athletic fee is just one of several fees that will increase next school year and that the chancellor has the final say with regard to tuition.

"The Chancellor has the option to decide how to disperse the funds," he said. Caldwell said that prices for auxiliary funds are rising across the university and the UNC System.

He also said that the athletic department originally asked for a $100 increase per student for the next school year, Caldwell said that the increase would go toward salaries and to accommodate rising fuel prices for the buses that transport student-athletes and students enroute to athletic events.

"It won't matter if athletics get $36 or nothing, all auxiliary services have to increase to keep up with the costs," he said. "If students want a quality athletic program, our costs have to come from somewhere. There is no state support for athletics."

Caldwell says that there are only three avenues of revenue for athletics. The primary source is student fees, which account for $ 3.1 million of the department's $4.3 million estimated budget, make up the bulk of the financial support.

Gate receipts from athletic events are another source of revenue; however, the only programs that generate revenue in the athletic department are football and basketball games, which so far this year have brought in around $265,000.

According to Caldwell football and basketball are the only sports that produce revenue. The other 12 programs do not.

A third source of revenue is fundraising activities. So far this season, fundraising activities have accounted for nearly $480,000.

Caldwell said that he agrees with Stephens that alumni need to support the program.

Currently, only 70 to 75 out of 14,000 alumni are currently giving to the athletic department,according to Caldwell.He also said that recently a meeting was held with alumni in Atlanta to address the need for giving.

"We're trying to use students concern to go after the alumni," he said. "We figured if the students could pay $579 every year, then every alum should be able to pay $250 annually."