PRIORITY seating. In theory, it's a great idea. These days, though, it seems to be for Saturday afternoons only. The recent expansion of Scott Stadium is good news for anyone who ever missed out on tickets for a Virginia football game. The unfortunate reality is that for students, such amenities cannot compensate for losses elsewhere. Because we continue to face diminishing resources in daily academic life, serious considerations must be made about future projects. The recent College of Arts and Sciences announcement of specific fundraising goals indicates that the administration is finally getting its priorities straight.
In the musical chairs game of life, it is inevitable that someone or something will be left out sooner or later. But at the nation's top public institution of higher learning, it should never be students. The controversy that arose out of the Scott Stadium expansion was inevitable. It is completed however and we must move on. But the implications for the future are significant. The lesson of the stadium renovation is one for the University community to draw serious lessons from for a long time to come.
First, it's not a bad thing that alumni are willing to provide for the University in ways that may not benefit academics specifically. This University's alumni are among the most proud and committed in the country. We should welcome their generous gifts and desire to see the University grow. Graduates such as David A. Harrison III provide a shining example for all. His significant contributions to undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as to the athletic program, illustrate an overwhelming dedication to this institution.
However, we cannot lose sight of what this place actually is - a university, a place where students come to earn an academic degree. It will never matter how many people we can fit in a stadium when students cannot sign up for classes because a department doesn't have the funding to provide them. The fact that the College faces a target fundraising goal of $250 million by 2005 speaks volumes about where money is truly needed. Hopefully, we can count on the altruism of alumni to foot the bill, even if they can't see the results on ESPN.
The need for money can be detected easily. Cabell Hall is in disrepair, faculty and staff are at a premium, class sizes grow and space becomes limited. I don't look forward to the day when GFAP 101 resorts to using the stadium as its overflow classroom - and not just because HooVision won't make Sabato's jokes seem any funnier.
The plan unveiled by the College indicates that money will be allocated to certain targeted areas. This illustrates the fact that fundraising can and must be carefully planned. If a need is demonstrated, we can rely on donors to provide the resources required to alleviate it. But money will not materialize for obscure projects. It is to the credit of this plan that it specifically is raising money for programs in the natural sciences and the fine and performing arts. Otherwise, how are alumni to know that a chemistry lab isn't able to provide proper equipment? Just because it is tucked away in an academic building doesn't mean that it is any less in need of funding. This seemingly obvious fact is a serious consideration. The allocation of resources must match need, not visibility.
Additionally, the College fundraising plan reaffirms the University's commitment to its institutional purpose. We have much to be pleased with in our beautifully designed and refurbished stadium. We should be equally proud of our arenas of academic competition. Our rankings both on and off the field are a source of constant scrutiny, as evidenced by the latest release of the U.S. News & World Report list of top Universities. It feels great to be back at number one. We must preserve that stature. Putting money where it is needed is a sure way to stay at the top. The new plan that the College intends to follow for the next five years is an example of how to achieve these goals.
The need is severe and it is clear that without vast improvements in the immediate future, the academic viability of this school is at stake. The plan set forth by the College to raise money is a good start and certainly realigns our focus. Particularly in the wake of a controversial stadium project, it should serve as an example of how macroeconomic issues should be handled here. Education must be the top concern.
It is all about the money. And as much of it as the new stadium will generate, this University cannot afford to wait any longer to act. Time is running out and the music is about to stop. There must be enough seats to go around - it's a priority.
(Katherine Martini's column normally appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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