Under the pressure of attacks on our budget we at UTC rightfully are
sensitive about matters financial.  We have circled our wagons.
Unfortunately, in reacting to our tangible frustration, we have begun
shooting inward, i.e. at one another.  Though we have differing views on the
proper role of athletics at UTC and athletic costs (my sympathies are with
Profs. Dumas and Rice as expressed below), some recent messages have
denigrated those with whom the sender disagreed.  A university ought to be a
place where differing opinions intelligently expressed are received and
discussed with grace.  I have some philosophical differences with both Rice
and Dumas on other matters but they are intelligent and articulate and the
expression of their views should be respected.  In particular I salute Dumas
for his lead in challenging lane usage on both 5th Street and McCallie
Avenue.  It was clearly proper for him to question change made and proposed.
Indeed, I witnessed two violations of the bus lane on 5th this morning, one
by a cement mixer with which I would not argue.

        Chancellor Stacy has provided us with a breakdown of the Lebos’ total
compensation package.  Included in this was (+/-) $150,000 for his summer
basketball camp.  If this is his profit, I am amazed and wonder what they
charge a child to attend.  If 250 children attend, for example, this is $600
profit to Lebo per child.  If 1000 attend, he is still making $150 each.
This seems excessive.  I’d like more explanation.  Mr. Lebo’s salary
includes performance bonuses.  Given that UTC is an academic institution and
that his salary and position here afford him much greater compensation from
outside this university, I’d like to see his UTC salary cut but be
supplemented with a bonus for athletes who actually graduate.  Like a waiter
in an expensive restaurant, his “tips” greatly exceed his salary.

        RPI had one of the strongest undergraduate engineering programs in the
country when I was there in the early 60’s.  They also lost every football
game but one in my 4 years there. (They managed a tie my senior year in a
put-up game against a business school that had just gone 4 years.)  So what?
I chose the school for its academics, as do students who apply to Harvard
and MIT.  I was also an instructor at Clarkson College, a good engineering
school with no football at all (They did have a strong hockey program which
meant our Canadians were better than other schools’ Canadians.)

        I served on the Admissions Committee here for two years a number of years
ago.  I became very frustrated that Athletics and the Administration did end
runs around our decisions concerning our evaluations of the qualifications
of athletes seeking admission.  In short, too often the athletic tail is
wagging the academic dog.

        James W. Hiestand