TEXT OF JANUARY 26, 2005 E-MAIL FROM SENATOR ADAM COOPER TO SECRETARY SWALAGIN REGARDING PROPOSED CHARGE TO BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE ON USE OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS FEE:


Dear Secretary Swalagin:

I would like the following charge referred to the Budget & Finance Committee:

Examine the Intercollegiate Athletics fee paid by all Rutgers-New Brunswick undergraduates.  Determine whether this money is used only for varsity sports, as it is supposed to, or if this money is also sometimes used for revenue-generating sports for which this fee money is not intended.  Also, review the amount of student fee money used to fund club sports at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and consider the disparity between the fee amounts.  Recommend best practices for the  appropriate use of this fee money in light of these findings.

I am open to wording changes on this.  The general idea of it is two-fold -- first is that I have a sneaking suspicion that money from the Intercollegiate Athletics fee -- which amounts to about $213 per year paid by every undergraduate, might be used inappropriately and I just would like some sort of independent audit conducted.  The other issue is that while students pay $213 to fund varsity sports, which only a select group can participate in, club sports that are open to all recieve only about $3.50 per student per year -- and there are 400 more student who play club sports than varsity!  I would like this issue considered by the Senate as it is rather shocking and should be somehow addressed.

Thanks so much,

Adam Cooper
University Senator
Rutgers College