[Vision2020] UI Backs Off From $4 million for Athletics

[Tom Hansen]

Yes.  In my opinion the Vandals should return to the Big Sky Conference.

I miss the old rivalry games like the ones we used to have against Bozo State.  That same spirit can be nurtured in games against Montana and Eastern Washington.  

Bring back that AWESOME school spirit I looked forward to every Saturday.

Until then, I'll jus' have to kick back and crank up a couple old Vandal rap songs . . .

"Vandal Rap"
http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Vandal_Rap.mp3

"What Up, Moscow"
http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/What_Up_Moscow.mp3

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

> On Apr 20, 2017, at 12:54 PM, Nicholas Gier <ngier006 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear Scott,
> 
> Thank you for contributing to those academic scholarships.
> 
> The Morrill Act was amended in 1890 and athletics was still not part of the core mission of land-grant institutions.  The UI Constitution is from 1889 and it does not mention athletics as the core mission of the University.
> 
> UI athletic positions are filled on a regular basis, but staff and faculty vacancies are not.  My position has never been filled, and UI students can no longer take courses in Asian philosophy.  
> 
> My Buddhism course was taught for several years after my retirement, but it has now been eliminated.  We are losing our competitive edge to the Asians every day, and it is imperative that we understand their culture.  Having a great football team does not aid in that task at all.
> 
> All other campus units have tried to survive within very tight budget constraints.  Athletics must learn to do the same.
> 
> Go Vandals (within the Big Sky)!
> 
> Nick
> 
>> On Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 1:23 AM, Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Dr. Gier,
>> 
>> The two major revenue producing college sports are football and men's basketball.  The sport of football did not exist in America until 1869.  Basketball was not invented until and 1891.  The Morrill Act of 1862 saying "nothing about athletics" is an extremely weak argument to raise in regard to budgeting of the athletic department.  This type of logic is as ineffective as stating "nowhere in the Constitution is the word 'abortion' mentioned" as a justification for states to enact and enforce laws criminalizing abortion.
>> 
>> Your second point that 'you can see no reason that UI athletics cannot live within the limits of its generous annual subsidy of $949,500' comes off to me that you simply lack vision.  Idaho is in the midst of taking the unprecedented action of moving from FBS to FCS and thus will be experiencing a significant downturn in revenue.  They're heading into very troubled waters and maybe to your delight.  Certainly not mine.  I can attest that the three endowments for the U of I that I created to fund academic scholarships (and I received a record 10 thank you notes this year from scholarship recipients) can be directly credited to Idaho's move from Division I-AA to Division I athletics.  You can probably count how much more money I'll be donating on zero hands.  Be my guest in taking credit for this turn-about.
>> 
>> -Scott
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Nicholas Gier <ngier006 at gmail.com>
>> To: vision2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2017 1:16 PM
>> Subject: [Vision2020] UI Backs Off From $4 million for Athletics
>> 
>> Dear Visionaries:
>> 
>> Both faculty and students can take credit for this turn-about.  Here are excerpts from a revised version of my column that appeared in the Argonaut yesterday. One faculty senator noted that the Morrill Act of 1862, which established our land-grant institutions (of which UI is one), said nothing about athletics.
>> 
>> UI Finance Vice-President Brian Foisy estimates a deficit between $900,000 and $1,000,000.  The athletics department had originally requested $1 million a year for four years to bring the budget out of the red. 
>> 
>> After some hard questioning at last Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting and a revealing investigative report by a UI student (see below), Vice-President Foisy has now announced that the request will be $950,000 for this year alone.  . . .
>> 
>> Vice-President Foisy has argued that all campus units require a subsidy, but those faculty and  staff contribute to the core mission of the University. Land grant universities such as the UI were authorized by the Morrill Act 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln. Nowhere in this legislation nor in the UI Constitution is athletics described as essential to the function of these institutions.
>> 
>> Over the 45 years that I have been associated with the UI, I have seen my department and many others cut their budgets to the bone—some have no travel money and some have no faculty telephones—so I see no reason that UI athletics cannot live within the limits of its generous annual subsidy of $949,500.
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. 
>> 
>> -Greek proverb
>> 
>> “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your own understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.
>> 
>> --Immanuel Kant
>> 
>> 
>> =======================================================
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>               http://www.fsr.net
>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. 
> 
> -Greek proverb
> 
> “Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your own understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.
> 
> --Immanuel Kant
> 
> 
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
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