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News

Athletics to SFAC: The usual, please

Department praises its academics in request for 35 percent 
of fee revenue

Cougar News Staff

The Athletics Department made its usual request for 35 percent of Student Service Fee revenue on Monday, with officials lauding the department's academic progress.

Athletics Director Dave Maggard told members of the Student Fees Advisory Committee that the graduation rate among student athletes is higher than that of the University at large, and he said that number will increase.

"Academic success among student athletes hasn't been the best. We are improving this success," Maggard said. "We believe this to be consistent with the rest of the University's goals."

Of 520 student athletes, Maggard said 215 are on scholarship and 10 percent make the dean's list. He said the amount of scholarships the department offers athletes has increased by nearly 34 percent in the past three years, to $15,200 for 2004 and 2005.

"Our graduation rates are going to continue to climb, especially with the programs we have in place," Maggard said. "We are concerned with the academics of the whole person, the people that are going to be contributing to society when they graduate."

He also touched on the department's outreach programs, including Cougar Pride, a fund-raising committee established in 2003 made up of alumni, coaches and Cougar supporters.

Athletics has received 35 percent of the Student Service Fee money since 1988, when then-UH President Richard Van Horn and the student government agreed to cap any group's allocation at 35 percent. Last year, SFAC gave Athletics $3.19 million.

Among the other groups making SFAC presentations Monday was the Activities Funding Board, which provides money to registered student organizations so they can hold programs and conferences.

The AFB is allocated 1 percent of non-designated Student Service Fee revenue each year, which totals about $91,000.

AFB financial officer Paul Viscontini told SFAC members his group ran out of money last year and needs more now to help fund activities of the more than 400 student organizations on campus.

"We are definitely poised to allocate all our money this semester," Viscontini said.

Simon Bott, a faculty member of the SFAC, suggested the AFB not advertise it has money to give away.

"Don't go beg people to come spend your money," he said. In other business, the Health Center requested $1.6 million; the Department of Campus Activities asked for $576,296; the Frontier Fiesta Association requested $72,062; the Student Program Board requested $195,994; and the Council of Ethnic Organizations asked for $105,341.

With reporting by Bridget Brown, Mandie Burnett, Jessica Robertson and Angela Stokes.
 

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