Friday, May 1, 2009

UNO Students Vote Against Increase

((HT: New Orleans Times-Picayune/Pierce W. Huff))

UNO sports information director Rob Broussard said students have voted approximately 1,418-1,251 (53.1 percent to 46.9 percent) against an athletic fee increase, which would have provided much-needed funding for the Privateers' athletic department. The results of the vote occured during a three-day Internet vote, which ended at midnight Friday morning.

The results of the vote leave the athletic department with an uncertain future.
Student athletic fees contributed $1.9 million to the athletic department's $4 millon budent. But that budget is expected to increase to about $4.6 million next year and will be without $1.4 million that athletic department received in funding from the university last year. The university will not allocate money to the athletic department next year because of looming budget cuts. As a result, the athletic program hoped that the increased student athletic fees would make up for the difference.

The student athletic fee increase would have been almost double what students are paying now with a cap not to exceed $195.96 for undergraduate and $146.97 for graduate students.

UNO AD Jim Miller appeared on ABC 26 to express his obvious disappointment

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