You may or may not be aware that the Union’s entire annual budget consists of over $8 million dollars. In the last few weeks I’ve described for you the budgeting processes that we use to determine the appropriate levels of funding for our clubs and organizations here on campus. Clubs and organizations, however, only make up one piece of the overall budget for the Union. We have three other major sections within the budget: Intramural and Varsity Athletics, Administration, and Business Operations. While we as students spend much of December and January working on club budgets, each of these respective groups mirror our efforts and then submit their entire budget proposals to the Executive Board for review. We are currently in the middle of reviewing and approving these budgets so I am unable to comment on the final state of those processes.
If one were to isolate the defining extracurricular activity at RPI, it would undoubtedly be participation in intramural athletics. With over 2,000 students who participate in the intramural athletics programs, and our more than 700 varsity athletes, it is clear that athletics is a foundation of the student life experience at RPI. It is for this reason that the Union supports our athletics programs and provides the majority of the funding for our teams and competitions. Last year, in recognition of the importance that athletics has for the student body, the Executive Board committed to a substantial increase in funding for our sports teams and facilities. This step was taken in order to help bring our programs into line with those found at other institutions within our conference. I feel that this investment has resulted in higher quality programs and performances that have helped us attract top athletes from across the nation.
Funding for athletics is determined through a long and complex process that is no small feat. I would like to thank Karen Hansen for the dedication and thoroughness that she has shown throughout the process. It is thanks to Karen’s efforts that this year’s athletics budgets demonstrate realistic expectations and true-to-life figures. These improvements allow the Union to understand the needs of our sports teams and ensure that our peers receive the highest quality athletics experience we can provide. I would also like to thank Jay Bernardo for the time and effort he contributed to the budgeting process. You may know him as the record holder in career touchdowns for Engineer football, but he also displayed a strong commitment to the quality of our athletics programs as the 2006-2007 Athletic Board Chairman. Of course I would be negligent if I did not also express thanks for the tremendous support that Ken Ralph constantly provides to our student athletes and our athletics programs.
As of press time, the Executive Board has yet to examine the athletics requests for 2007–2008 but I am confident we will take the appropriate steps to bolster the student body’s support of our fellow athletes and move to ensure that our programs are of the highest quality.
