After what seems to be a decades-long fight between students and administration at West Virginia University, the University pledged $1.5 million to club and recreation field improvements last fall.
It was a huge win for students.
From that point, the WVU Student Government Association, behind the leadership of former President Jason Zuccari, took the initiative to develop a plan after talking to club sports and administration members.
After a survey in the spring that forced a lapse in the progression, the University's Board of Governors was expected to hear about an extensive 10-year club sports plan from Vice President for Finance and Administration Narvel Weese and Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Gray in early June.
That did not happen.
It's been nearly nine months since now-second year WVU President James P. Clements stated at the State of the University address that club sports would receive the extra money for upgrades.
It's taken nine months for a concrete plan to come forward.
While I appreciate the efforts Clements has made in his first year to develop his team and listen to students, club and recreation sports are the biggest immediate student-related problem at WVU.
His administration has seen that and pledged money toward it to calm the barking dogs. But, after a slow and frustrating process to develop a plan for these sports, the dogs are barking back.
It's not just a nine-month struggle. It's been this way for years and years.
I understand the University is deeply immersed in the strategic planning of its future. But, not everything can be put off until 2020.
Club and recreation sports fields are a priority for this University today. In fact, improved field space was supposed to be finished by 2010 in the University's last 10-year strategic plan.
Club sports teams have been limited to the lackluster fields at St. Francis Park and near the Health Sciences Center for years.
A quick walk around the St. Francis fields will show how subpar they are. When I did last winter, I found a rusted baseball box for equipment, deep puddles filled with ice, empty paint cans and crushed beer cans.
The surfaces are so bad that opponents of club sports teams have traveled to Morgantown and when they saw the field, said they would not play because of the threat of injury.
These fields just aren't going to cut it. They are putting students in danger and need repaired now, not in 10 years.
WVU preaches to its students the values of the University's mission as a land-grant institution. It also likes to talk about its student-centered leadership.
But that student-centered culture which flourished under former President David C. Hardesty hasn't been continued under the following administrations.
In Clements' defense, he has done a great job of being there for the students in his first year. But, club sports is a touchy subject for many. Some have said his administration has not been as student-oriented.
When former WVU President Michael S. Garrison was the head of the University, he was about to pledge nearly $2 million to club sports at the school to help boost the program. But, that was just before he resigned because of a degree scandal.
That was the closest club sports ever got to respect by the University administration.
Prior to that and ever since, they've been given a raw deal.
Lately, it's been even worse.
A source said meetings held on the plan to develop club intramural and recreation sports fields were held without student knowledge or input.
Students, especially the leaders of our student population, have been left in the dark in situations where a student-centered university would have, could have and should have flourished.
If WVU's current administration is going to act in this manner, it should ditch the student-centered rap.
That can all change with the decision on the plan for club sports, which is reportedly to be announced "in a few weeks."
If the University takes into account the plan done by SGA, it would be a win for club sports and the administration – because that plan is what the students want.
But, at the same time, WVU showed it does not consider club sports a priority. A nine-month long planning process slowed down by a useless survey does not show strong leadership.
In addition, two deadlines were missed. That would get a journalist fired or a student's letter-grade dropped. So, where's the accountability in this situation?
The University has dropped the ball on club sports one too many times. It's time to step up now and make the students' main issue a strength.
Otherwise, this administration proves it's nothing more than making decisions for itself instead of students.
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