[Uosenate] Senate leadership support for a new mandatory student fee for athletics

Thu Feb 4 10:38:04 PST 2021

Thanks Elliot and Spike for these thoughtful responses.

Bill Harbaugh
UO Economics
harbaugh at uoregon.edu<mailto:harbaugh at uoregon.edu>

On Feb 4, 2021, at 10:34 AM, Elliot Berkman <berkman at uoregon.edu<mailto:berkman at uoregon.edu>> wrote:

Good morning, Senators,

I agree with Spike and want to add my own 2c on this issue. Spike and I met with ASUO Senate President O’Connor Tuesday. Claire told us about the back and forth negotiations and the proposal that was on the table, and asked for our support. The proposal, while not ideal, sounded to me like a good compromise. It would allow ASUO to fund their seven basic needs proposals right away - which is a high priority for them - decrease the total payment to athletics, decrease the cost per ticket (reduction in percentage of market value), and increase student voice in allocating the tickets. The  alternative path was one of high uncertainty and risk, with the prospect of ending up with a better deal being murky at best. Our understanding from President O’Connor is that she and her exeuctive team were in support of the proposal, as were many students. Claire’s sense was that the vote might be close, and indeed it was. That merely speaks to the fact that there are divergent views on this issue.

I decided to support the proposal because it was endorsed by the elected leaders at ASUO. In the end, ASUO is going in a different direction, and I support that, too. ASUO is capable of making its own decisions in this arena and I’d be happy to endorse just about whatever choice they make. Like our senators, ASUO senators are volunteers doing their best to represent their constituents. As we know, that can be tricky when there are strong and divergent opinions on an issue. I am grateful to the student senators for their commitment to this messy democratic process.

Spike and I were clear that we signed the letter as individuals and our endorsement did not equate to an endorsement from the Senate. I believe this message was and is understood by all parties. There is a broader discussion to be had about actions of individuals - senate leaders and senators alike - and the extent to which those actions can be taken to represent their constituents or larger bodies. That issue is the topic of a forthcoming website post and we can continue this discussion there.

We’re happy to discuss further in office hours, Tuesdays at 11. https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/94012102403<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/94012102403__;!!C5qS4YX3!QQYp2sFM-3U6wtMRsnQY5YUpl7RJweXsN4RCZFXrjJBQrZKneBw4CIRj_dZ7Wy5elS4$>. I hope to see you there!

-Ell

he/him/Ell

On Feb 4, 2021, at 10:17 AM, Spike Gildea <spike at uoregon.edu<mailto:spike at uoregon.edu>> wrote:

Hi Bill,

Looking at the information you have gathered here, it is clear that I did not do my due diligence before agreeing to co-sponsor President O’Connor’s motion. In particular, I was convinced by our conversation that the motion was a good compromise and I did not look for additional information, for example, from someone who might disagree with her position. Also, obviously I did not understand that the fee we were discussing yesterday was entailed as a part of her motion. My bad.

That said, I do not share the belief that it is wrong to assess student fees for athletics tickets. President O’Connor indicated that she had received a substantial volume of email from constituents who value UO athletics, who supported the fee in order to get access to reduced price tickets, and who were upset that the ASUO Senate voted on Saturday to remove that benefit from them. It is also the case that our successful athletics profile is a part of what motivates increased undergraduate applications, especially from the crucial out-of-state students. While I think that US universities have evolved an ecosystem that places excessive value on intercollegiate sports, this is the ecosystem we inhabit. On the side, I do not share your overall hostility to UO athletics. As a student here in the 1980s I went to a few football and basketball games, and quite a few track meets, and I have great memories of being a part of the student section cheering on the Ducks (despite all the losses). I still watch Duck football on TV and I go to occasional basketball and volleyball games in person, and I still cheer with real enthusiasm. I see value in the part of the student experience that comes with intercollegiate athletics and I do not regret my support for the compromise motion that President O’Connor had negotiated with the administration. I am generally in favor of compromise, and in this compromise, the new ASUO Senate programs would have been supported by existing funds and incoming students would still have been given access to the benefit of reduced price tickets, albeit at the cost of increased fees.

Obviously, there is another side to this debate, and the ASUO Senate voted on that other side, as is their right. I respect that decision and I look forward to seeing how things evolve going forward.

Best,
Spike

From: William Harbaugh <harbaugh at uoregon.edu<mailto:harbaugh at uoregon.edu>>
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 11:57 PM
To: Spike Gildea <spike at uoregon.edu<mailto:spike at uoregon.edu>>, Elliot Berkman <berkman at uoregon.edu<mailto:berkman at uoregon.edu>>
Cc: uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu<mailto:uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu> <uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu<mailto:uosenate at lists.uoregon.edu>>
Subject: Senate leadership support for a new mandatory student fee for athletics
Dear Spike and Elliot -

I’m writing in regard to the Senate discussion Wednesday about the UO Admin's efforts to regarding student tickets. In the chat Spike wrote:

16:07:55 From  Spike Gildea (he him his)  to  Everyone : Technical corrections: Elliot and Spike met yesterday with ASUO Senate President Claire O’Connor, who asked us to  co-sponsor her bill proposing a compromise that she had negotiated with the administration. There was no mention of the new mandatory fee. We told her that we could not speak on behalf of the Senate, but that as individuals we offered our support and co-sponsored her bill.

I can’t understand why Spike wrote this. The ASUO motion that you both signed onto as Senate Pres and VP is very clear. It says:

Title:                Securing Student Tickets for the Next Four Years

Author:            Senate President O’Connor

Sponsors:       ASUO Executive, Senate Executive, UO Administration, University Senate President Berkman, University Senate Vice President / President Elect Gildea

…

THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED, that the ASUO Student Senate in order to secure student tickets at athletics events for the next four years:

… (5) Supports the creation of a mandatory athletics fee of $29.50 per incoming student per term beginning Fall Term 2021 and subject to the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board’s (TFAB) annual review process; [1]

Full text below. Earlier In the Senate meeting Elliot wrote:

16:01:49 we have plenty of time in the Feb 24 and March 10 meeting, and I’m happy to schedule more time to talk about this issue then

This is not true. We do not have plenty of time. The administration was hoping the TFAB would vote to support this new fee at their meeting Tuesday. It will be back soon, and the TFAB’s vote will be relayed to the HECC, probably long before the UO Senate meets again.

Spike and Elliot, ff you did not mean to co-sponsor this ASUO legislation as Senate leadership, or just did not understand what you were signing onto, I hope you will make this clear to to the UO Senate and to the ASUO Senate and their leadership quickly, and withdraw your support for this new mandatory fee on our students.

I encourage anyone interested in this to attend the meeting Th to be hosted by our student senators:

Topic: Office Hours: Jenna Travers, Senate Seat 8, ACFC
Time: February 4, 2021 5 PM (PST)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://uoregon.zoom.us/j/98169685923?pwd=eGQ1c1BEdmZYOE0zZFFVd1IydDJPdz09<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/uoregon.zoom.us/j/98169685923?pwd=eGQ1c1BEdmZYOE0zZFFVd1IydDJPdz09__;!!C5qS4YX3!ThlUZUiOt6vpPQ-7z6ndKtfmQ_aBYm5FuNwba2XmytP4TROEtyOe3teD4vzBAsxaP2k$>

Bill Harbaugh
UO Economics
harbaugh at uoregon.edu<mailto:harbaugh at uoregon.edu>

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