Comments on: Holub’s recruitment plan hurts in-state students http://dailycollegian.com/2009/10/14/holub%e2%80%99s-recruitment-plan-hurts-in-state-students/ New England's Largest College Daily Online Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:57:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: muad'dib http://dailycollegian.com/2009/10/14/holub%e2%80%99s-recruitment-plan-hurts-in-state-students/comment-page-1/#comment-568 muad'dib Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:30:57 +0000 http://massdailycollegian.com/?p=3986#comment-568 Increase funding to the football team? Yeah, because the football team is totally a profit center. It's not like those nerds in the Literature department need some books or like the Computer Science department brings in more research money than any other department but still hasn't been able to refurnish its undergraduate lounge. Why not put our school's money towards something useful like decreasing the atrocious prices at the Textbook Annex or bringing trays back to the dining commons? Increase funding to the football team? Yeah, because the football team is totally a profit center. It’s not like those nerds in the Literature department need some books or like the Computer Science department brings in more research money than any other department but still hasn’t been able to refurnish its undergraduate lounge.

Why not put our school’s money towards something useful like decreasing the atrocious prices at the Textbook Annex or bringing trays back to the dining commons?

]]> By: James http://dailycollegian.com/2009/10/14/holub%e2%80%99s-recruitment-plan-hurts-in-state-students/comment-page-1/#comment-504 James Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:33:44 +0000 http://massdailycollegian.com/?p=3986#comment-504 I would like to clarify one point that you make. The fact that 3% of living alumni participate in the Alumni Association is not a good barometer of alumni support for the school. This is a club that members pay dues to join and receive perks throughout the year. It does not mean that 3% of our alumni choose to donate to the school each year. Instead, it would be more helpful to look at the participation numbers from the development office, which include the annual fund and other fundraising campaigns. In my opinion, the administration should consider (at least) two solutions to close funding gaps and improve the standing of the University in the long term: 1. Provide our football team with the support it needs to make the leap to Division 1A. The increase in the visibility of the school on the national scene will serve to attract more academically qualified students from all over (including Massachusetts), boost merchandising and ticket revenues, and increase the willingness of alumni to give back to a school with a strong brand. 2. Create a law school that exists within the UMass umbrella of schools. The challenges and upfront costs are steep, but the benefits of having UMass educated legislators making funding decisions (as opposed to Suffolk, BC, Harvard etc. law grads) are fairly obvious. I do not like the idea (that was discussed in the Globe yesterday) of taking over an obscure unaccredited school in Southeast Massachusetts, and instead think that the administration should focus on building in metro Boston to maximize quality and effectiveness. I would like to clarify one point that you make. The fact that 3% of living alumni participate in the Alumni Association is not a good barometer of alumni support for the school. This is a club that members pay dues to join and receive perks throughout the year. It does not mean that 3% of our alumni choose to donate to the school each year.

Instead, it would be more helpful to look at the participation numbers from the development office, which include the annual fund and other fundraising campaigns.

In my opinion, the administration should consider (at least) two solutions to close funding gaps and improve the standing of the University in the long term:

1. Provide our football team with the support it needs to make the leap to Division 1A. The increase in the visibility of the school on the national scene will serve to attract more academically qualified students from all over (including Massachusetts), boost merchandising and ticket revenues, and increase the willingness of alumni to give back to a school with a strong brand.

2. Create a law school that exists within the UMass umbrella of schools. The challenges and upfront costs are steep, but the benefits of having UMass educated legislators making funding decisions (as opposed to Suffolk, BC, Harvard etc. law grads) are fairly obvious. I do not like the idea (that was discussed in the Globe yesterday) of taking over an obscure unaccredited school in Southeast Massachusetts, and instead think that the administration should focus on building in metro Boston to maximize quality and effectiveness.

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