The Student Government Association Senate will place a proposed athletics fee to be used for ensuring equality, upgrading facilities and promoting safety on the ballot for the fall election to be held online from Sept. 18 – Sept. 20.If approved by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System and passed by the students, the fee will cost $3.50 per credit hour up to 12 credit hours and will be assessed every fall and spring semester beginning in the spring 2007 semester. Part-time and full-time students will pay the fee.
The money generated from the fee will fund “Title IX facility and life safety program needs for the Athletics program,” according to a letter written by University President Stephen Hulbert, notifying the Board of Supervisors of the University’s intention to hold the election.
“It’s simple. This whole initiative is really about three things. It’s about equality. It’s about facilities, and it’s also about safety,” Athletics Director Ron Bernardi said.
The Athletics Department intends to use the money to promote equality between the genders and amongst the sports by distributing the money more evenly to each sport.
“We want to make sure that the recruiting budget for women’s sports is equal to that of the men’s sports,” said Bernardi. “Also we have to make sure that their facilities are on par with that of the other sports.”
“It’s also about equity between what we have and what the folks that we are competing against have,” said Bernardi. He also said that some schools within the state collect $100 per student per semester for athletics, and students attending schools within the league pay athletic fees higher than this proposal. “Our overall budget is the lowest of any of the state schools, and it’s also the lowest of any of the members in our Southland Conference,” Bernardi said.
Improvements to the athletics facilities will also be made with the funds. According to Bernardi, there have been no renovations done to athletics facilities in over 20 years with the exception of Stopher Gym, which received a new floor and seats as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
“We have a women’s soccer team that represents Nicholls and yet the field they play on doesn’t have restrooms or locker rooms. It doesn’t even have a drinking fountain for them,” Bernardi said.
Dwayne Fisher, freshman from Reserve, said, “The price is reasonable, and I think that girls should have the same stuff that the boys have.”
Safety is also a major concern for the athletics department, and a portion of the funds raised by the proposed fee will go to buying new equipment and a safer means of travel.
“I wouldn’t mind paying the fee if it would keep the athletes safe,” Sian Guidry, freshman from Houma, said.
“If you look out in the parking lot, there is a 31-year-old bus that doesn’t have air conditioning and that the headliner is falling out of that our student athletes have to travel on. No other organization on campus has to travel on that old bus. It is unreliable, and basically it is unsafe,” Bernardi said
“This isn’t about luxury. It’s not about increasing my salary or the coaches’ salary. It’s about equality, facilities and safety, and I think it will bring us closer to our competitors. Having safe equipment is not a luxury. It is a necessity,” Bernardi said.
