Instructional Salavies v. Coaching Salaries

[mscarn]

The same could be said about the course(s) you teach. Most students don't care about them, but they do care about the courses they are currently taking and many also care about the athletic programs!

Exactly. The professor talks about the central misson of the university and then turns it into a popularity contest about what students "like" more as a determinator of worth. Most would choose the option of attending a football or basketball game over 85% of the courses any day of the week. How many students of the professor take his class to fulfill a major requirment or for a reason other than pure intellectual curiosity?

Even better, how about polling the students about whether they'd prefer a tuition reduction instead of 15% raises for their professors?

Both academics and athletics play roles in enriching the university, but when money gets tight there's the instinct to start looking out for individual interests and criticizing perceived enemies. Dave Clawson, Louis Orr, Jen Roos and Danny Schmitz are not threats to the academic integrity of the university. They are assets.

[professorjackson]

"Both academics and athletics play roles in enriching the university..." No. One is the central mission of the university. The other is a peripheral luxury that ought to be self-funding.

[Globetrotter]

A majority of students don't directly benefit from the multicultural office on campus, It has a huge benefit on the campus indirectly.

I think there is actually a really good argument for getting rid of every sport other than women's basketball. Men's basketball hockey and football. Those sports can be semi revenue getting and where they are in the red they make up for it in all the things that hammb said. Other sports aren't as visible.

I wasn't that great of a student but in my instance alone I wouldn't have even considered bg if it didn't have college basketball or football.

[kdog27]

Take away athletics and it might as well be Bowling Green Community College.

[professorjackson]

"Take away athletics and it might as well be Bowling Green Community College." Right...because there are no great universities in this country that don't focus on athletics...

[kdog27]

You changed my words but whatever... so tell me some great universities that don't focus on athletics and meet BG's profile.

[rood]

This thread is like a car wreck. Why can't I stop looking at it?

[Flipper]

The "academics" in this debate remind me of my first dog...he used to sit there for hours trying bite the wind blowing in his face.

[mscarn]

"Both academics and athletics play roles in enriching the university..." No. One is the central mission of the university. The other is a peripheral luxury that ought to be self-funding.

From the BGSU Mission Statement:
http://www.bgsu.edu/strategicplanning/page122224.html

I've bolded the words that relate to the student-athlete experience.

Vision
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) aspires to be a premier learning community, and a national model, for developing individuals and shaping the future through learning, discovery, collaboration and personal growth.

Mission
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) provides educational experiences inside and outside the classroom that enhance the lives of students, faculty and staff. Students are prepared for lifelong career growth, lives of engaged citizenship and leadership in a global society. Within our learning community, we build a welcoming, safe and diverse environment where the creative ideas and achievements of all can benefit others throughout Ohio, the nation and the world.

Core Values
Respect for one another
Collaboration
Intellectual and personal growth
Creativity and innovation
Pursuit of excellence

[hammb]

Thanks mscarn.

I find it appalling (although not surprising) that a prominent faculty member seems to think that classroom education is the only "Central Mission" of the university.

There is so much more to a university education than classes, grades, and that piece of paper at the end. Sad that he doesn't seem to see that.

[footballguy51]

Thanks mscarn.

I find it appalling (although not surprising) that a prominent faculty member seems to think that classroom education is the only "Central Mission" of the university.

There is so much more to a university education than classes, grades, and that piece of paper at the end. Sad that he doesn't seem to see that.

It's hard to barbain for a bigger salary if you admit that you are only one piece of the pie instead of the entire pie.

[Flipper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgxzjrodNvI

[mscarn]

Thanks mscarn.

I find it appalling (although not surprising) that a prominent faculty member seems to think that classroom education is the only "Central Mission" of the university.

There is so much more to a university education than classes, grades, and that piece of paper at the end. Sad that he doesn't seem to see that.

It's hard to barbain for a bigger salary if you admit that you are only one piece of the pie instead of the entire pie.

Absolutely, fellas.

The argument isn't even about compromising academics. It's having a football program or possibly 17 professors in certain departments instead of 18. It's having a basketball program or 2.5% raises for professors instead of 3%.

The athletic department has no desire to completely obliterate any academic program and airily dismiss its entire value simply to serve its own needs. The converse cannot be said.

Also, while they'll never get their wish, if they did indeed decimate the athletic department they'd go after other parts of the university the microsecond their interests were at stake and the talking points would be the same.

[Flipper]

mscarn...The arrogance and sense of entitlement are the things that I find most appalling

[professorjackson]

I find nothing in the highlighted portions of the mission statement that are best or most efficiently achieved through over-spending on intercollegiate athletics.

I have not personally attacked anyone here, yet for making arguments some people don't like I've been called arrogant, possessing of a sense of entitlement and compared with a dog. So much for the core value of respect for one another.

Meanwhile back on the theme of overspending on things other than instruction, university presidents seem to be doing quite well: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories ... edian.html