Student leaders want private money for Saluki Way

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University Carbondale student leaders say they'd like to see blueprints and a bill for the sports complexes in the Saluki Way project before administrators ask them to pay any more fees.

Two representatives from undergraduate student government told the SIU board of trustees Wednesday they believe building a new football stadium and renovating the arena is a good idea, but private donations are supposed to fund a big portion of the $76 million project in addition to increased student fees.

So far, the $560,000 the university foundation has raised toward the athletic facilities falls far short of the 50 percent officials have said they'd like to see in private funding before releasing bonds to finance construction.

The representatives also said administrators have yet to show students designs, blueprints or final cost estimates but are prepared to levy a $54 increase in the athletics fee next year, $44 of which will go toward the Saluki Way projects.

The hike will bring the athletics fee alone to $221 per semester, based on 12 credit hours.

"As students we want to pay into a good, sound investment," said USG senator and College of Applied Sciences and Arts student Jeff Jaynes. "We don't have that yet."

Jaynes said if students are paying more in fees now for a project that is not ready, inflation in costs for building materials used in Saluki Way likely will raise those fees even higher in the future.

USG President Akeem Mustapha said students are skeptical the university will raise the private money necessary to complete the sports facilities and they are worried administrators will make them finance more of it through fees.

"This will not be possible unless we develop a constructive compromise," Mustapha said.

SIUC Interim Chancellor John Dunn said Mustapha brought up a valid point, and he said he is going to try from now on to speak to student government earlier in the fee assessment process.

SIU President Glenn Poshard said with Saluki Way being a recent addition to SIUC's overall fundraising efforts, private donations for it aren't as abundant as the roughly $64 million already contributed to the campus' $100 million capital campaign taken public in 2005.

Poshard said SIUC Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Rickey McCurry has made progress in speaking with potential donors.

"But he's not at the point yet of asking them for a specific amount of money," Poshard added.