Proposed additions to the Student Recreation Center certainly sound luxurious. We wouldn’t mind relaxing in a new spa, trying out expanded racquetball courts or having more space for aerobic training. And the current SRC becomes crowded during peak hours, as anyone who frequently attempts to play basketball likely knows.
But there is no way the University can afford a new Rec Center. With a price tag estimated at $21.8 million, and a starting balance of zero, it looks like private donations will be needed.
While state and federal lawmakers fail to prioritize funding higher education, this institution is actually considering hitting up private donors for a new set of treadmills.
There are times we need private money despite being a public school. Yet this institution should concentrate on funding certain projects before it even thinks about tacking on any superfluous recreation facilities.
Faculty salaries
This University has a serious salary gap. In past years, average faculty salaries have lagged behind those of comparable institutions, and the gap has recently been exacerbated. A state employee salary freeze implemented between 2003 and 2005 has done serious damage. As a result, the school has a hard time recruiting and retaining quality instructors. Inadequate salaries also hinder our struggle to increase faculty diversity.
Housing on campus
The residence halls are old and cramped. The current system makes it harder for the University to renovate its old halls than to build new ones. Meanwhile, the University acquires property using housing money, then uses that property for non-housing purposes. Better residence halls will attract more students than a new SRC would.
Tuition
We appreciate the Oregon Opportunity Grant. But following several years of cuts to the state’s need-based scholarship program, this “gift aid” is a mere drop in the bucket. Federal funding for scholarships and grants has bottomed out. Costs of tuition and necessities like books and housing continue to increase, and students aren’t exactly made of money. Let’s find ways to reduce tuition or supplement student aid.
EMU
We remember a time when the EMU, home for many University student groups, was moving forward on the “EMU Master Plan,” a multi-million dollar face-lift on the aging building. That plan was indefinitely delayed because of budget woes, forcing improvements to be made slowly. The EMU should be a point of pride, and we should find funding to enhance it.
Basic necessities
Some parts of campus academic life that students at other schools take for granted, like 24-hour library hours all year, are a major struggle every year. Has anyone noticed how hard it is to park around here? Let’s build a parking structure as soon as possible, not at some distant time when a new basketball arena is created. We can move the Department of Public Safety headquarters while we’re at it. That way, maybe the building won’t be overcrowded during an emergency.
We realize many of the problems we’ve listed require copious funding and complicated planning. But let’s not spend our valuable time fantasizing about the SRC when there are more pressing financial needs on campus.