Ohio University's athletic department received a $300,000 budget increase for the upcoming fiscal year 2005-06. The 2.4 percent budget hike brings the department's total operating budget to $12.8 million. The increase comes in the wake of campus-wide layoffs and departmental budget cuts.
The increased athletic department budget, though originally enacted by former President Robert Glidden in his final year, is part of President Roderick McDavis' vision for a more athletically oriented OU.
As I have said from day one
I've always believed that athletics are a window to the academic excellence of the university and certainly the success of athletics boosts the morale of the entire university community McDavis said in a March press conference. And as a window to the university
we think that our athletic program is on the rise.
The increase is the second installment of a three-year, $1.5 million budget increase, said Amy Dean, interim athletic director. Each year, the athletic department will receive $500,000.
However, the athletic department is not untouched by the university's budget cuts. Over the past two years, the athletic department's base budget was reduced $250,000, according to Dean.
The intent was to give us $500
000 (during fiscal year 2004-05)
but the institution cut our budget $200
000. So
for this year
our base increase was only $300
000
Dean said. Over the past two years
