Guest Voices
Athletics must benefit USF
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Opinion
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The same two weeks that ESPN is paying USF large fees for back-to-back national television appearances, the University is looking into hire private security firms instead of paying University Police officers competitive salaries. Do you recognize the problem I see?
The same day that the city of Tampa celebrates the University's success, UP officers could get better money by leaving the University and moving to the city's police department.
Do you see the irony?
Tonight, television viewers across the globe will see slickly produced video segments glorifying our campuses and academic programs. Less than a month ago, Channel 10 showed local television viewers how UP resources are stretched thin on the real campuses. Which video segment provides a more accurate portrait of the University?
USF has invested millions of dollars in creating a football team and joining the Big East Conference. And today the football team is nationally ranked. That's wonderful. But at the same time, USF is preparing to hire rent-a-cops instead of paying UP officers enough money to retain them.
As the faculty union president and as someone who depends on UP for his safety, I am alarmed at the University's decision. The people who would lay down their lives for students, faculty and staff are underpaid, under-supported and undermined by plans to outsource a large part of the University's security operations.
This decision, moreover, has become public the same week that USF is obviously benefiting from the football team's success. If campus security suffers while football benefits, we have our priorities backwards.
Fortunately, the priorities can be fixed. The administration can guarantee that the football team's success this season will benefit USF, and they can make that guarantee by taking four simple steps.
First, the administration should publicly announce how large the appearance fees this year are. The administration should be transparent about sports revenues and expenses and release the information to the press as soon as possible.
The same day that the city of Tampa celebrates the University's success, UP officers could get better money by leaving the University and moving to the city's police department.
Do you see the irony?
Tonight, television viewers across the globe will see slickly produced video segments glorifying our campuses and academic programs. Less than a month ago, Channel 10 showed local television viewers how UP resources are stretched thin on the real campuses. Which video segment provides a more accurate portrait of the University?
USF has invested millions of dollars in creating a football team and joining the Big East Conference. And today the football team is nationally ranked. That's wonderful. But at the same time, USF is preparing to hire rent-a-cops instead of paying UP officers enough money to retain them.
As the faculty union president and as someone who depends on UP for his safety, I am alarmed at the University's decision. The people who would lay down their lives for students, faculty and staff are underpaid, under-supported and undermined by plans to outsource a large part of the University's security operations.
This decision, moreover, has become public the same week that USF is obviously benefiting from the football team's success. If campus security suffers while football benefits, we have our priorities backwards.
Fortunately, the priorities can be fixed. The administration can guarantee that the football team's success this season will benefit USF, and they can make that guarantee by taking four simple steps.
First, the administration should publicly announce how large the appearance fees this year are. The administration should be transparent about sports revenues and expenses and release the information to the press as soon as possible.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Kathleen de la Pena McCook
posted 9/28/07 @ 7:42 AM EST
I'm absent-minded. During my 14 years at USF I have had my wallet taken twice from my office because I left it in the open. In both cases the University Police were kind and helpful. (Continued…)
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