Athletics fee proposals roll in
Kaess, Maria
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: News
Almost one year after its approval by the Board of Governors, the student athletics fee continues to be a hot topic for Truman students.
Dave Rector, director of institutional research and budgets, said the $50 per semester athletics fee brought in about $543,000 in its first year. He said the stadium lighting project was approved for $350,000, and most of the remaining balance of the first year and much of the funds from 2008-09 will be used for the stadium turf project.
"For the University, these are mid-sized projects," Rector said. "They're not as big as the $15 million dorm renovations, but these are good-sized projects."
Jerry Wollmering, director of athletics, said the student athletics fee made several other purchases possible in addition to the stadium lights and the upcoming artificial turf.
"We also purchased some safety screens for our baseball program to use on the field during practices and bought some big circulation fans for the natatorium to help with air circulation problems in the pool area," he said.
Wollmering said he sees promise in the future of the athletics fee.
"The athletics fee is and will continue to be a great benefit," he said. "We sponsor more sports than any NCAA Div. I or II school in the state and in the surrounding states. The lighting project has been a great start. We had two night football games this fall with crowds better than normal, our track team uses it for practices that go into the dark, and we had the homecoming pep rally in the stadium instead of cramming into hot Pershing."
Wollmering said the changes to the stadium will help other campus organizations, not just school-sponsored teams.
"It will provide us more flexibility in the fall with football, band, club sports and intramurals," Wollmering said.
As for the overall effect of the fee, Wollmering said the fee eventually will improve Truman's look and garner more University pride.
"It will then help with recruiting efforts for high school students who are already playing in some awesome facilities," he said.
Dave Rector, director of institutional research and budgets, said the $50 per semester athletics fee brought in about $543,000 in its first year. He said the stadium lighting project was approved for $350,000, and most of the remaining balance of the first year and much of the funds from 2008-09 will be used for the stadium turf project.
"For the University, these are mid-sized projects," Rector said. "They're not as big as the $15 million dorm renovations, but these are good-sized projects."
Jerry Wollmering, director of athletics, said the student athletics fee made several other purchases possible in addition to the stadium lights and the upcoming artificial turf.
"We also purchased some safety screens for our baseball program to use on the field during practices and bought some big circulation fans for the natatorium to help with air circulation problems in the pool area," he said.
Wollmering said he sees promise in the future of the athletics fee.
"The athletics fee is and will continue to be a great benefit," he said. "We sponsor more sports than any NCAA Div. I or II school in the state and in the surrounding states. The lighting project has been a great start. We had two night football games this fall with crowds better than normal, our track team uses it for practices that go into the dark, and we had the homecoming pep rally in the stadium instead of cramming into hot Pershing."
Wollmering said the changes to the stadium will help other campus organizations, not just school-sponsored teams.
"It will provide us more flexibility in the fall with football, band, club sports and intramurals," Wollmering said.
As for the overall effect of the fee, Wollmering said the fee eventually will improve Truman's look and garner more University pride.
"It will then help with recruiting efforts for high school students who are already playing in some awesome facilities," he said.
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